Efficiency in urban systems

The concept and interpretation of urban systems is well known in spatial planning science. The increased efficiency of cities as part of a system was already evident a century ago when there was a move away from monocentric cities to a dispersed network of cities. This chapter focuses on a specific level of the urban systems theory, namely the regional (large) urban system and the principles relevant to measure and optimize its performance in terms of efficiency. In this context, urban system-efficiency forms one of three pillars in determining said performance, the others being the sustainability and resilience thereof. Recent research confirms that the efficiency of an urban system increases with size (number of centers) and morphological structure, which is usually a function of technology and complexity, as well as their hierarchical interconnectedness. The latter function is derived from the temporal stages of the regional development cycle within the overarching urban system. Case studies in the Global South, specifically South Africa, will be analyzed in support of this phenomenon.