The research of the Department of Town and Regional Planning at UP focuses on spatial transformation in the Global South with a critical focus on cross-cutting themes such as decoloniality and trans-disciplinarity, including:

• Role of planners, plans, planning legislation, governing, and partnerships in, for example, rural and regional development, mining towns, and informal housing
• Rural-, regional-, and urban- design, for example, Water Sensitive Urban Design and inclusive urban design for African cities; and
• Sustainable, resilient and regenerative regions, settlements, and public spaces.