The built environment is the consequence of the process of urbanisation. Urbanisation is a complex process of change affecting both people and places. A key dimension of this process is the progressive concentration of people and activities in towns and cities. Urbanisation requires the continual consumption of space to accommodate urban growth and the dynamic expression of spatial patterns and infrastructural developments over time.
Urbanisation brings with it both costs and benefits.
On the one hand there are undesirable by-products such as poor housing, congestion and environmental pollution, whereas for many people the move to an urban settlement can mean significantly higher living standards. The built environment mirrors the dynamic nature of urbanisation and is constantly being adapted and re-developed to meet changing human needs. A number of factors including poor economic prospects in the Eastern Cape Province and employment opportunities and perceived higher quality of life in the CMA have contributed to higher in-migration. The rapid influx of people has given rise to a higher demand for land, infrastructure and service delivery. The level of urbanisation in the Western Cape Province is high when compared to the other provinces of South Africa.