Abstract
Since the introduction of geographic information systems (GIS) in the 1960’s it has evolved
tremendously to an extent that it permeates our daily lives. Initially GIS usage started in the developed
countries and now increasingly filtered to developing countries. The town planning profession was one
of the early adopters of GIS and GIS Science. Geospatial information is a useful source of data that is
needed in urban planning. In these days of the new urban agenda 2030 and smart cities more is even
required from planners in using geospatial information to face urban challenges such as sustainable
urban development and climate change. Although GIS has promised a lot for urban planning it has not
reached full potential. Moreover many studies have focused on developed countries with limited studies
on geospatial information application in municipalities and GIS education from a developing country
perspective. In this study, a survey on the usage of geospatial information science (GSIS) in two cities,
namely, Bulawayo in Zimbabwe and Ekurhuleni in South Africa was conducted and an overview on the
state of GIS curricula in planning schools is discussed. The results indicate that considerable progress
has been made in the application of geospatial information in municipal planning, however, there are
impediments limiting the full utilisation of geospatial information in local municipalities. Amongst
these impediments include, inadequate GIS curricula in planning schools, lack of resources and lack of
political will. These challenges manifest differently in well resourced and municipalities with limited
resources. The study proposes planning-relevant GIS curricula to improve the level of GIS use in
planning practice.