Strategies for Spatial Development in Zimbabwe

In the previous chapter it became evident that the Zimbabwean space economy is very unequal in terms of socio-economic development and that there are several development problems. Over the years the Zimbabwean government, like other governments in countries with severe spatial inequalities in development, has adopted various policies and strategies to obtain a more equal spatial distribution of economic development in the national space economy. The aim of this chapter is threefold. The first aim is to provide an overview of spatial development planning strategies and policies in Zimbabwe in the past and to evaluate why these strategies and policies were not successful. Proposal will also be made on how to improve on some of the old strategies. The second aim of this chapter is to apply the spatial development planning strategies for the different regional types, as proposed by Friedmann (1966) for Venezuela, to the demarcated regions in the Zimbabwean space economy