How many ways from here to there

South Africa’s approach to the hurdles of spatial data and the shortage of technical knowledge in enabling cities to prepare Spatial Development Plans has the potential to bring tremendous change beyond its planned goals. Catalytic events in various forms have been shaping urban living forms though out the history of human settlements. They range from natural climactic or geological events, political and governance decisions to technological innovations that enable a flurry of ways and means that change how people live, work and act in the urban sphere, much beyond the initial intent of the act. Of late, technological innovations have been the primary catalytic enabler in changing and impacting urban living. The distribution of electricity, the automobile, cellphones, and smartphones have had tremendous impacts on how cities function, are managed, and grow.  The conceptual model of the National Spatial Planning Data Repository (NSPDR) has the potential to give the cities and commu