essay about informal settlements

When planning falls short: the challenges of informal settlements

PhD Candidate and Research Assistant in Urban Design, The University of Melbourne

PhD Candidate, Australian-German Climate & Energy College, The University of Melbourne

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne

PhD Candidate in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne

Research Fellow, McCaughey VicHealth Community Wellbeing Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne

Disclosure statement

Hesam Kamalipour receives IPRS and APA scholarships from the Australian Government. He is also a Doctoral Academy member at the Melbourne Social Equity Institute (MSEI).

Alexei Trundle receives research funding from the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and an Australian Postgraduate Award from the Australian Government.

André Stephan receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

Hayley Henderson receives an APA scholarship from the Australian Government.

Melanie Lowe receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the National Environmental Science Programme.

University of Melbourne provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.

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Informal settlements house around one-quarter of the world’s urban population . This means roughly 1 billion urban dwellers live in settlements that have emerged outside of the state’s control.

The Habitat III conference in Quito in October recognised informal settlements as a critical issue for sustainable urban development. But how did informal settlements come to make up such a large part of the world’s cities?

Resorting to informal housing

Rates of urbanisation can fluctuate rapidly and be hard to predict. This makes planning for urban growth a challenge, especially in developing countries, where more than 90% of urban growth is occurring. When data or government capacity is limited, housing shortages often result.

With formal housing too expensive or unavailable, urban migrants must improvise. Many resort to informal housing.

Informal settlements are generally undocumented or hidden on official maps. This is because the state usually sees them as temporary or illegal.

Over the past 50 years, governments have tried to deal with these areas in a number of ways. Strategies have included denial, tolerance, formalisation, demolition and displacement.

While efforts to improve settlements and anticipate future ones are becoming more common, the desire for eradication persists in many cities. Forced evictions in various parts of the world are putting the rights of informal settlement dwellers at risk .

Over time, however, it has been recognised that poverty and inequality cannot be simply eradicated through demolition or eviction. In the developing world, one-third of the urban population now lives in slums . In Africa, the proportion is 62%.

Many cities are looking for alternatives that formalise these areas through incremental, on-site upgrading. In addition to offering effective protection against forced evictions, it is critical to provide access to basic services, public facilities and inclusive public spaces.

We need to adopt integrated approaches that cut across urban scales and disciplines. These need to involve stakeholders from government, citizens and other organisations. Design thinking is essential in this process to meet the challenges of urbanisation.

The role of the New Urban Agenda

The Habitat III conference adopted a New Urban Agenda for the United Nations. This document presents a road map for sustainable urban development until Habitat IV in 2036.

While the quality of life for some informal settlement dwellers has improved over recent decades, growing inequality pushes more people into informal housing. As a result, the growth rate of informal settlements often outstrips upgrading processes.

The UN Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) was one of the key agencies involved in Habitat III. Since Habitat II, UN-Habitat has worked extensively on housing and slum upgrading . The New Urban Agenda incorporates lessons from this process.

An example is the need for innovative small investment models for informal housing and their inhabitants’ transport needs. The agenda also acknowledges the informal settlements located in hazard-prone areas. Their inhabitants often need more help with reducing the risks and building resilience.

The way forward

Dealing with informal settlements is an issue of inequality. This inequality is both social and spatial in nature, across cities worldwide.

It is problematic that spatial thinking does not have a high profile in the New Urban Agenda. While urban design by itself cannot reduce social inequality and urban poverty, much can be learned from cutting-edge practices that integrate design thinking into upgrading informal settlements.

One key lesson is that incremental housing (a step-by-step process of upgrading) can be a critical part of the solution. Incrementalism allows informal housing to be adapted over time. It also means community engagement is central to governments’ handling of informal settlements.

Another learning is that evidence-based, multi-scale and multidisciplinary approaches are essential to tackle the challenges of informal settlements. Such integrated approaches intervene at multiple scales to provide a network of public open space and access to affordable public transport and facilities.

Most informal settlements – but for a few exceptions located in hazardous areas – need to be upgraded incrementally and on the same site.

Are we prepared?

When it comes to the critical role of design thinking in the process of urbanisation, built environment professionals need to be prepared to tackle the challenge of informal settlements.

Incremental and on-site upgrading relies on a sophisticated understanding of informal settlement forms and adaptations.

Universities have a key role in equipping future built environment professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to meet the real challenges of urbanisation. Informal settlements are here to stay.

To better integrate these settlements into cities globally, they need to be recognised – politically, socially and spatially – and made visible through the gaze of mapping and research.

• Affordable housing
• Cities & Policy
• Habitat III
• Informal settlements
• New Urban Agenda

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Harnessing local dynamics for upgrading informal settlements: the ezbit hegazi experience with the alexu-coe-sug.

1. Introduction

2. upgrading informal settlements: two perspectives, 3. pathways to improvement: leveraging street-led tactics for informal settlement renewal, 3.1. street-led approach between top-bottom, and bottom-up understanding, 3.2. demand for good governance (dgg) as a base for effective street-led interventions, 4. alexu-coe-sug’s approach to excellence: systematic interventions and outcomes, 4.1. navigating ezbit hegazi: challenges and realities of informal living in alexandria, 4.2. (alexu-coe-sug) interventions in ezbit hegazi, 5. decoding the spatial logic of ezbit hegazi: a precursor to street-led development initiatives, 5.1. the first proposal, 5.2. the second proposal, 6. discussion, 6.1. bottom-up scenario: community-driven urban regeneration, 6.2. top-down scenario: institutional-led urban enhancement, 6.3. collaborative frameworks for informal settlement upgrading, 7. limitations and future research, 8. conclusions, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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Share and Cite

Al-Hagla, K. Harnessing Local Dynamics for Upgrading Informal Settlements: The Ezbit Hegazi Experience with the ALEXU-CoE-SUG. Sustainability 2024 , 16 , 4953. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16124953

Al-Hagla K. Harnessing Local Dynamics for Upgrading Informal Settlements: The Ezbit Hegazi Experience with the ALEXU-CoE-SUG. Sustainability . 2024; 16(12):4953. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16124953

Al-Hagla, Khalid. 2024. "Harnessing Local Dynamics for Upgrading Informal Settlements: The Ezbit Hegazi Experience with the ALEXU-CoE-SUG" Sustainability 16, no. 12: 4953. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16124953

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• Belonging and its Psychological Impact on Street People
• Establishing Social Inclusion in the Street Community
• Understanding Homelessness’ Role in Urban Development
• Investigating the Effect of Public Spaces on Cities
• Creating a Sense of Community Through Green Areas
• Commemorating the Street Community’s Lives
• Co-Developers
• Khulisa Social Solutions
• Additional Partners
• Objectives and Process
• Shared Action Learning (SAL)
• Ethical and Safety Considerations
• Challenges of Being Outsiders
• The Cape Town Partnership Takes the Initiative
• Emotional Impressions
• The Memorial Comes to Life
• A Wall Full of Life and Color
• Understanding Different Perspectives
• Additional Scenes
• Homelessness in South Africa
• Resources Available to Street People in Cape Town
• US Soup Kitchens
• Interior Design Methodologies for the Homeless
• Arts and Music Programmes for the Homeless in the U.S.
• Meet the Co-researchers
• Meet the Sponsors
• Meet the Cast of Characters
• Safety Considerations
• Scene 1: First Day Observations
• Scene 2: Dominos
• Scene 3: Tessa’s Stories
• Scene 4: Music
• Scene 5: Art Viewing
• Art Gallery
• K2 Informal Settlement and Participatory Action in Informal Settlements
• Upgrading Efforts and Early Childhood Development
• Objectives and Participatory Processes
• Meet the K2 Community
• Meet the WPI team
• Act I Scene I: New Beginnings (October 22, 2015)
• Act I Scene II: Getting lost in the K2 Maze (October 23, 2015)
• Act I Scene III: The Outsiders (October 26, 2015)
• Act II Scene I: Touring Tuesday (November 10, 2015)
• Act II Scene II: Trouble in K2 (November 16, 2015)
• Act III Scene I: Luncheon: A Change of Scenery (November 17, 2015)
• Act III Scene II: Adding Colour (November 20, 2015)
• Act III Scene III: “Bawawethu” (December 3, 2015)
• Act III Scene IV: Financial Contribution: One Step at a Time (December 7, 2015)
• Project Outcomes
• Challenges and Opportunities as a Result of Technology
• Adult Learning Philosophies and Strategies
• Asset Mapping
• Co-researchers
• Sponsor and Liaisons
• Objective 1
• Objective 2
• Objective 3
• Objective 4
• Introducing Our Fifth Member (October 29, 2015)
• The Teachers Take a Leap (October 30, 2015)
• A Change in Course (November 16, 2015)
• An Attempt at Teaching Methods (November 24, 2015)
• Getting on the Map (December 9, 2015)
• Act 1 Scene 1
• Act 1 Scene 2
• Act 1 Scene 5
• Act 1 Scene 6
• Act 2 Scene 1
• Act 2 Scene 3
• Act 2 Scene 4
• Reflecting on Relationships: Insights Gained and Lessons Learned
• Increasing Understanding through Peer and Project-based Learning
• Increasing Access through Asset Mapping
• Understanding and Access Sustainability: From Pilot Programme to Technology for Women’s Empowerment Programme
• Cape Town Project Centre Context
• Domestic Violence: A Larger Context
• Objective 5
• Scene i: A Proper Introduction
• Scene ii: Meeting the Entire Crew
• Scene iii: Breaking Ground
• Scene iv: What a Girl Wants
• Scene v: Our First Goodbye
• Scene vi: Peacock Crown
• Scene i: Painting the Town
• Scene ii: The Return of Gershwin
• Scene iii: The Final Coat
• Scene i: Off to a Rocky Start
• Scene ii: Hidden Talents
• Scene iii: Divide and Conquer
• Scene iv: Full Steam Ahead
• Scene v: Power Struggles
• Scene vi: Hard Work Yields Results
• Scene vii: The Countdown Begins
• Scene i: The Home Stretch
• Scene ii: The more we get together…
• Vendor Mentors: Co-Researchers
• Vendors Of The Month
• The Big Issue
• Street Papers
• Interviewing
• Participatory Video
• Connecting Activities
• Mentor Group Activities
• Interview Questions
• Privacy and Consent Considerations
• 1. From 0 to 60
• 2. Starting Off On The Right Foot
• 3. Getting Techie
• 4. Seeing Through A Vendor’s Eyes
• 1. Emotions Run High
• 2. Vendor Mentor Pilot
• 3. Take Two
• 4. Breaking It Down
• 5. Becoming A Family
• 6. Sharing A Coke With…Friends
• 1. Making A Business Deal
• 2. “It Is Such An Honor Having The Opportunity To Learn”
• 3. Taking It To The Streets
• 4. An Old House Of Memories
• 5. Mentor Pilot Program
• 6. Vendors Have Their Voices Heard
• 7. Graduation Day
• Ari’s Reflection
• Challenges of Early Childhood Development in South Africa
• Crèche Regulations and Finances
• Best Practices for Crèche Development
• Determinants of Crèche Quality
• The Effect of Playground Design on Child Development
• The Effect of Playground Design on Communities
• Developmental Benefits of Recreational Space
• Public Space Inequality in South Africa
• Recyclable Playgrounds
• Flamingo Crescent Informal Settlement
• Asset-Based Community Development
• Project Philosophy
• Mission Statement & Objectives
• Meet the Community
• Scene 1: When in Africa…
• Scene 2: Communication Troubles on the Forefront
• Scene 3: “Hallo Gemeenskap”
• Scene 4: Pulling Strings
• Scene 5: Progress Behind Closed Doors
• Scene 1: From the Outside…
• Scene 2: Home Alone
• Scene 3: Pushing for Progress
• Scene 1: Another Day, Another Design
• Scene 2: Community Initiative
• Scene 3: Gettin’ Down and Dirty
• Scene 4: Where is the pipe?
• Scene 1: Steering to Paradise
• Scene 2: On a Roll…
• Scene 3: Leaving a Little Handprint
• Scene 4: A Promising Start to the Park
• Scene 5: Let There Be Playgrounds!
• Scene 6: “To my new family!”
• Scene 7: Life Through Murals and Trees
• Scene 8: Closing Time
• Team Flamingo Reflections
• Introduction
• Issues Resulting From Energy Practices in Informal Settlements
• Interactive Qualifying Project Center Context
• Methods of Financing Business in Low Income Communities
• Strategies for Implementation in Low Income Communities
• Methodology
• Mission & Objectives
• Interview with Sizwe
• Interview with Yolanda
• Interview with Auntie Marie
• Second Interview with Yolanda
• Scene 1: First Introductions
• Scene 2: Getting to know Wonderbags and Building Networks
• Scene 3: Sharing Ideas and Findings
• Scene 4: Cooking with the Wonderbag
• Scene 1: Creating Interest in Wonderbags
• Scene 2: First Trip to an Informal Settlement
• Scene 3: Looking for New Products
• Scene 4: Gathering Community Energy and Crèche Information
• Scene 5: A Visit to Flamingo
• Scene 6: Just Do It: Three Crèche Visits
• Scene 7: The Reality of Low Income Areas
• Scene 8: A College for Kiddies
• Scene 1: Pilot Program
• Scene 2: A Second Pilot Program
• Scene 3: Sustainable Sales
• Scene 4: Low Income Energy Services Task Team Meeting
• Scene 5: Lunch at the Crèche
• Scene 6: Exploring Other Products
• Scene 7: Graduation
• Scene 8: Enjoying Electricity
• Scene 9: Collaboration for Future Implementation
• Scene 10: Keep Smiling
• Tati’s Reflections
• Alex’s Reflections
• Business Model
• Entrepreneurial Support Packet Overview
• Wonderbag Business Guide
• Wonderbag Safety Flyer
• Wonderbag Sales Log
• Energy Savings Advertisements
• Pilot Program Contract
• Wonderbag Advertisements
• Pilot Program Log
• Pilot Programs
• Findings Report
• Cape Town Sanitation and Health Programmes Context
• History of Education in the Context of Apartheid
• The Relationship between Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Education
• The Relationship between Education and Career Development
• Health Promoters®
• Other Community Members
• WaSH-Serv Co-Researchers
• Act 1 Scene 3
• Act 1 Scene 4
• Act 2 Scene 2
• Act 2 Scene 5
• Act 2 Scene 6
• Act 2 Scene 7
• Act 3 Scene 1
• Act 3 Scene 2
• Act 3 Scene 3
• Act 3 Scene 4
• Act 4 Scene 1
• Act 4 Scene 2
• Act 4 Scene 3
• Act 4 Scene 4
• Act 5 Scene 1
• Act 5 Scene 2
• The Concept: What is WaSH-UP?
• Challenges: Where can it go wrong?
• So What Does This Mean? Lessons Learned from Langrug
• Important Lessons Learned: Working in Challenging Communities
• What Works? Successes in Surprising Places
• Where do we go now? Some Musings on the Future
• Heather’s Reflection
• Informal Settlements in South Africa: Langrug Community
• Community Assets
• Cooperative
• For Profit Small Business
• Opportunity International
• Savings for Health Expenditures in Kenya
• Village Savings and Loan Association in Malawi
• How to Start a Small Business in Informal Settlements
• Micro-Enterprise: An Example
• Research Question 1
• Research Question 2
• Research Question 3
• Research Question 4
• Sources and References
• Act 1: The Journey Begins
• Act 2: Getting the Business Up and Running
• Act 3: The World Isn’t All Sunshine and Rainbows
• Act 4: Money- A Universal Problem to Overcome
• Act 5: Progress in Adversity
• Act 6: We’re In Business!
• Act 7: Is This Worth Fighting For?
• Act 8: The Journey Continues
• Cast Of Characters
• Project Focus
• Scene 1: First Day on the Job
• Scene 2: A Tour of the Facility
• Scene 3: A Day in the Field
• Scene 4: Talking About Expansion
• Scene 5: Buy Backs Centres and Expansion
• Scene 6: A Working Buy Back Centre and Successful Picker
• Scene 7: Helping the Community, no matter the Business Value
• Scene 8: TrashBack offers an Interesting Opportunity
• Scene 9: Hoist Manufacturers
• Scene 10: CommSell Helps Digitize the Paperwork Process
• Meet our City Sponsors
• Meet the NGO Partners
• Meet the Student Team

An Introduction to Informal Settlements

• Flamingo’s Current State
• The Infrastructure Research
• The Social Development Research
• Scene 1: First Meeting with Levona
• Scene 2: An Introduction to 7de Laan
• Scene 3: Beginnings of Turmoil
• Scene 4: Finding Hope
• Scene 5: A Motivation for our Work
• Scene 6: Red Hill Settlement Tour Highlights Opportunities
• Scene 7: City Mission Visit Illuminates the Option of Reblocking
• Scene 8: Meeting the Key Planners
• Scene 9: First Weekly Meeting Causes Confusion
• Scene 10: Subcouncil Meeting Eases Worries
• Scene 11: A Raw and Unexpected Story
• Scene 12: Ethiopian Experience
• Scene 13: Shack Demolition
• Scene 14: Engineering the Future
• Scene 15: Public Meeting in 7de Laan
• Act 1 Reflection
• Scene 1: A Taste of Flamingo
• Scene 2: Getting to know the Community Leaders
• Scene 3: Cluster Meetings in Flamingo
• Scene 4: Introduction to Mtshini Wam
• Scene 5: Kuku Town Visit Provides Example
• Scene 6: All Parties Come Together
• Scene 7: Library Networking
• Scene 8: Communication and Enumeration
• Act 2 Reflection
• Scene 1: Meeting the Contractors
• Scene 2: Breaking Ground
• Scene 3: If You Build It They Will Come
• Scene 4: Visiting ELRU Opens Doors for a Crèche in Flamingo
• Scene 5: A Living Virtue
• Scene 6: Meeting a New Potential Stakeholder
• Scene 7: Meeting with the CECD: “Let’s do it.”
• Scene 8: Bringing Green Innovation to the Crèche
• Scene 9: Final Stakeholder Meeting
• Scene 10: Saying Goodbye to Flamingo Crescent
• Act 3 Reflection
• Charles’ Reflection
• Mike’s Reflection
• Zach’s Reflection
• Resources and References
• Building a Background Through Research
• Liaison Discussions
• On-site Observations
• Community Discussions
• Visiting Other Communities
• City Mission
• Springfield Road
• Imizamu Yethu
• Freedom Park
• Mtshini Wam
• Nametag Activity
• Language Bridge
• Cultural Exchange Through Photographs
• Likes and Gripes Drawing Activity
• Profiling Community Members
• Participatory Photography
• Cluster Meetings
• Talking Circles
• Facilitate Access to Government Resources
• Strengthen Ties to Local Resources
• Develop Relations with NGOs
• Collaborate with Cape Town Project Centre Teams
• Document Resources for Future Use
• Improve Document Circulation and Accessibility
• Improve Communication – Involve Community Members
• Periodically Assess Progress
• Meet with all Stakeholders
• Working Professionally
• Show your Team’s Investment
• Enumerate the Settlement
• Formalize and Solidify the Layout Process
• Facilitate Construction Progress
• Our Partners
• Centre for Early Childhood Development
• Kiddies College Preschool
• Langrug: Connecting ECD with WaSH
• Final Presentation Materials
• Challenges of Early Childhood Development
• Models of Early Childhood Development
• Resources for South African Creches
• South African Government Regulations and Policies for Registration of Early Childhood Development Centres
• Visual of Early Childhood Development
• Scene 1: First Day of School at Kiddies College Preschool
• Scene 2: Hit the Ground Running
• Scene 3: Visiting the New Location
• Scene 4: Getting the Word Out
• Scene 1: Nobathembu’s Crèche
• Scene 2: Sudden Realizations
• Scene 3: Just One Grain of Sand
• Scene 1: Getting To Know Nobathembu
• Scene 2: A Lunch with David
• Scene 3: All Hands on Deck
• Scene 1: Back to Langrug
• Scene 2: A Kiddies Graduation
• Scene 3: Meeting with the CECD
• Scene 4: Blessing in Disguise – Promoting Health in Langrug
• Nick’s Reflection
• Cast of Characters: Who’s Who in This Project
• Educational NGO’s
• Important Informational Links
• Registering a Crèche in Cape Town
• Meet the WPI Team
• Project Coordinators
• Co-Research Teams
• Meet the Parks Department
• Early Childhood Development
• Park Design
• Design Process
• Community Involvement
• Research Questions
• Scene 1: Arriving in Maitland Garden Village
• Scene 2: First Sight
• Scene 3: Meeting with the Project Members
• Scene 4: Community Survey
• Scene 5: Working with Co-Researchers
• Scene 6: Village Day
• Scene 7: Monday’s Meeting with Jude
• Scene 8: Monday’s Meeting with Co-Researchers
• Scene 9: Discouraging Moment
• Scene 10: Setting up the Fantasy Playscape Activity with the Crèche
• Scene 1: New Faces
• Scene 2: Fantasy Playground
• Scene 3: Cape Town Park Tour
• Scene 4: Design Meeting
• Scene 5: Park Clean-Up
• Scene 6: Park Depot Visit
• Scene 7: Spreading the Word
• Scene 1: Friday Fun Day
• Scene 2: Maitland Garden Village Community Meeting
• Scene 3: Steering Committee Comes Together
• Scene 4: Planting the Seeds
• Scene 5: Last Day in Maitland Garden Village
• Personal Reflections
• Preparation Research
• WaSH-UP Principles
• Langrug Community
• How Does the Enviro Loo Toilet Work?
• Mission Statement and Objectives
• Scene 1: And So It Begins… Touring Informal Settlements
• Scene 2: Connecting with the Women of Langrug
• Scene 3: Learning from the Past
• Scene 4: Laundering an Agreement
• Scene 5: Doodling to Improve
• Scene 6: Nailing Down Improvements
• Scene 1: A Loo with a View
• Scene 2: Not Reinventing the Wheel
• Scene 3: Toilet Viewing at Signal Hill
• Scene 4: Meeting Nobathembu
• Scene 5: Children of Langrug
• Scene 6: Exploring with Paula
• Scene 1: Alfred’s Worries
• Scene 2: Scott’s Discovery
• Scene 3: Multitasking
• Scene 4: Hendri and Harold
• Scene 5: The People’s Place
• Scene 6: The Signal Hill Exchange
• Scene 1: Meeting with Stephen
• Scene 2: Moving Forward with Enviro Loo
• Scene 3: Meeting With Joey
• Scene 4: The Pilot Project
• Scene 5: Extracting Elevations and Pitching the Pilot Program
• Scene 6: Launching the Public Health Programme
• Scene 7: “Do You Trust Us?”
• Scene 8: Leaving Langrug
• Mackenzie’s Reflection
• Joe’s Reflection
• Morgan’s Reflection
• Assessment of the 2012 Mandela Park Facility
• Proposal for New Dry Sanitation Facility in Zwelitsha
• References and Acknowledgements
• Garden Village Affiliated Football Club
• Garden Village Residents’ Association
• Scene 1: First Encounter with Maitland Garden Village (MGV)
• Scene 2: Tour of Maitland Garden Village
• Scene 3: Ronell’s Sight into the Help Centre
• Scene 4: First Look at the Potential Venue
• Scene 5: Getting to Know the People We are Working With
• Scene 6: Tour Of Oude Molen
• Scene 7: Village Day
• Scene 8: Monday Morning Meeting
• Scene 9: Meeting at MGV Community Centre
• Reflection and Moving Forward
• Scene 1: Green Light Project Meeting: Brainstorming Session
• Scene 2: After School Programmes
• Scene 3: Advice from the Community Plough Movement
• Scene 4: Guidance from Basil
• Scene 5: Community Meeting Part I
• Scene 6: Community Meeting Part II
• Scene 1: Meeting With Property Management
• Scene 2: Meeting with Ibrahim
• Scene 3: First Music Meeting
• Scene 4: Meeting with Sponsor
• Scene 5: Figuring Out a Programme for the Concert
• Scene 6: Meeting With Naiela
• Scene 7: Training Session with the Kids
• Scene 8: The Final Presentation and Concert
• Surrounding Communities
• Black River 2011
• Objective 1: Developing Relationships
• Objective 2: Collaboration for Agricultural Plans
• Objective 3: Collaboration for a Pathway Vision
• Sponsors and Liaisons
• Notable Organisations
• Scene Eight: Maitland Garden Village Day
• Scene Five: Faces of Oude Molen Eco Village
• Scene Four: First Meeting with our Sponsors
• Scene One: The First Pathway Experience
• Scene Seven: Visiting Company’s Garden
• Scene Six: A Presentation to our Sponsors
• Scene Three: Walking the Desire Lines
• Scene Two: Tour of Maitland Garden Village
• Scene Four: Desire Lines Tour with Martin
• Scene One: Weekly Meeting with our Sponsors
• Scene Three: Sustainable Livelihoods Meeting
• Scene Two: Heritage Interviews
• Scene One: Meeting with Jonno
• Scene Three: TRUP Committee Meeting
• Scene Two: Weekly Meeting with our Sponsors
• Scene One: Mapping the Pathway at 44 Wale Street
• Scene Two: Weekly Meeting with our Sponsor
• Scene Three: Visit to Harvest of Hope
• Scene Four: Meeting with Storm Water Management
• Scene Five: Meeting with Parks and Recreation
• Scene Six: Two Rivers Urban Park Steering Committee Meeting
• Scene One: Meeting with Property Management
• Scene Three: Additional Meeting with Sponsors
• Scene Four: Weekly Meeting with our Sponsors
• Scene Five: Trip to the Liesbeek River
• Resources & References
• Historical Context
• Reblocking Efforts
• Urine Divergent Systems
• Pit Latrines
• Dehydrating Systems
• Flush Toilets
• Fire Hydrants
• Laundry Stations
• Rainwater Collection
• Detailed Mission and Objectives
• Multi-Stakeholder Involvement
• Initial Steps in Building Strong Relationships
• Designs and Planning Stages
• Construction and Implementation
• Long-Term Management
• Models to Learn From
• Meet the Langrug Project Team
• Meet the Municipality of Stellenbosch
• Meet the CORC Representatives
• Meet the Langrug Working Team
• Greywater Health and Maintenance
• Multi-purpose Community Centre
• WaSH Facility
• Initial Tour Highlights Many Contrasts
• First Partnership Meeting: Tensions Emerge
• A More Positive Start to Day Two
• Challenges of Reblocking
• Envisioning a Multi-purpose Centre
• Zwelitsha’s Unique Problems
• Reporting Sets a Precedent for the Future
• The WaSH Team’s View
• Discussing the Needs of the Community and How the MPC Can Help
• Making the Decision to Move Forward with the Multi-Purpose Centre
• Reblocking Guidebook Discussion
• Re-Measuring for Reblocking
• Spacing Out ReBlocking
• Fire In Zwelitsha
• Lunch Scene
• Working Team Arguments
• Playing Games
• Introductions at the Municipality: A Revelation
• Amanda Realises the Importance of Documentation
• The Working Team Presents to the Municipality
• How Simple Office Supplies Can Spark Progress
• Further Difficulty with Planning
• Learning How to Do (and Teach) a Cost Analysis
• Working Group Expresses Community Urgency
• Impromptu Meeting with Dawie
• Meeting with Scott: Ending a Day of Confusion
• Partnership Meeting 13 November
• Alfred’s Presence in Langrug
• Realising the Greywater Cleaning Problems
• Working Group’s Apparent Lack of Trust in the Municipality: Putting Together a Report
• Tensions Regarding Community Contributions and the MPC
• Conversation with Koko
• The Farmers’ Strike in Langrug
• Act 5: Our Reflections
• The Sponsors
• Professor Robert Hersh
• Problem Statement
• On The Ground in The Sky
• Developed a Framework for the Programme
• Monetary Outputs and Inputs
• Market Investigation
• Raising Awareness
• The Farm in the City
• Laying the Foundation
• Reflections and Recommendations
• Ethical Consideration
• Acknowledgements
• Analysis of Potential Roofs
• Harvest of Hope
• RUAF Foundation
• Preparation Phase References
• Leader Profiles
• Additional Resources For Mtshini Wam
• Scene 1: Day One in Mtshini Wam
• Scene 2: “Before you leave, leave us with something”
• Scene 3: Planning with the Community – Shared Action Learning
• Scene 4: Realization of Project Assumptions
• Scene 1: Complexities of the First Major Reblocking Process – 11.6.12
• Scene 2: Meeting With The City, CORC, and ISN – 11.9.12
• Scene 3: First Meeting with Stephen Lamb – 11.12.12
• Scene 1: Pressing Forward Despite Little Progress – 11.12.12-11.13.12
• Scene 2: Mini-Projects for Community Development in Mtshini Wam – Gardening and Carpentry
• Scene 3: Big Day Implementation and Collective Learning
• Scene 4: Profiling the Mtshini Wam Community Leaders, 12.3.12-12.7.12
• Informal Settlement Context
• Joe Slovo History
• Lessons Learned in Early Cape Town Upgrading Projects
• Prospective Projects
• Interview Methodology
• Meet the Greywater Team
• The Beginning
• Building a Channel in J-section
• The Process – Step 1
• The Process – Step 2
• The Process – Step 3
• The Process – Step 4
• The Process – Step 5
• The Process – Step 6
• The Process – Step 7
• The Process – Step 8
• The Process – Step 9
• Applying the Process in I-section
• Lessons Learned
• Moving Forward
• Mission Statement & Design Criteria
• Results: Visions and Rationale
• Final Vision
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter 1: What is the best way to aid a community in a sustainable and positive way?
• Village Day
• Conducting Interviews
• History of the Crèche
• Details of the Crèche Work
• Chapter 5: What is the best approach to gain governmental participation in preparation for a community programme?
• Green Light Program Committees
• Chapter 7: How can MGV continue to develop through mutually beneficial relationships with neighbouring communities?
• Epilogue: What does the future hold?
• Sydney Baker
• Bryan Karsky
• Emilee Kaufman
• Lauren Laboissonniere
• Nathan Sarapas
• Photo Gallery
• Downloads and References
• Acknowledging Our Partners
• Our Findings
• Mapped Facility 1
• Mapped Facility 10
• Mapped Facility 2
• Mapped Facility 3
• Mapped Facility 4
• Mapped Facility 5
• Mapped Facility 6
• Mapped Facility 7
• Mapped Facility 8
• Mapped Facility 9
• Mapped Facility 11
• Mapped Facility 12
• Mapped Facility 13
• Mapped Facility 14
• Mapped Facility 15
• Mapped Facility 16
• Mapped Facility 17
• Mapped Facility 18
• Mapped Facility 19
• Mapped Facility 20
• Mapped Facility 21
• Alternative Facilities
• Documentation of Co-researcher Interaction
• Gujarat and Kerala, India
• WaSHUp Process
• Multi-Purpose Centre Preliminary Drawings
• Supplemental Material
• Cultural/Social
• Institutional
• Safety and Security
• Infrastructure
• Personal Profiles
• Recommendations for Continuation: Training Community Facilitators
• Asset-Based Community Development Background
• Methodology and Conclusions
• Stakeholders
• Building Guide: Step-By-Step
• Function and History of B-Section Community Hall
• Future Building Advice
• B-Section Hall-Female Team Member Reflection
• B-Section Hall-Male Team Member Reflection
• ABR- Chemical Process
• Future Plans
• Sanitation Step-By-Step
• Sanitation: Female Team Member Reflection
• Sanitation: Male Team Member Reflection
• Playground Background
• Construction Pictures
• Our References
• Description of Project
• Communicating Results through Documents Method
• Generating Alternative Designs Method
• Identifying Flooding Hot Spots Method
• Interview Method
• Measuring and Modeling Hot Spots Method
• Future Recommendations
• Project Diagrams and Models
• Alexandra Settlement
• Ondo Town, Nigeria
• Porto Alegre, Brazil
• Monwabisi Park Spaza Market
• Focus Group Discussion
• Informal Conversations
• Key Informant Interviews
• Mapping Exercise
• Monwabisi Park Spaza Association Meeting
• Recommendations
• Monwabisi Park
• Triple Trust Organisation
• Spaza Shops
• Creches in Monwabisi Park
• Innovative Integrated Outreach Programme
• Vision For the Future of Early Childhood Development
• Existing Site Conditions
• Proposed Site Design
• Capital Costs
• Site Management and Operational Costs
• Vegetation Costs
• Good Hope College Initiation Site Management Plan
• Implementation of Good Hope College Initiation Site
• Training of the Ingcibi
• Government Actions and Health Initiatives
• Involvement of the Health Department
• Role of Site Committee
• Role of Site Manager
• Emergency Access
• Waste Management
• Site Management
• A Historic Perspective of the Initiation Ritual
• Limited Physical Space and Lack of Seclusion
• Building and Burning of Initiation Huts
• Challenges of Initiation in an Urban Environment
• Economic Challenges for Initiates
• Health Concerns during the Initiation Process
• Malnutrition during the Seclusion Period
• Psychological Challenges Faced by Initiates
• Conflicts Between Traditional Leaders and Authorities
• Government Actions in the Initiation Community
• Good Hope College Initiation Site Visits
• Initiation Indaba
• Interviews and recommendation
• Langa Site Visits
• Project Identification
• Andiswa Putsu
• Happiness Mamfenguza
• Thabo Khomane, Songezo Gulwa
• Thembakazi Salman
• Housing: Background
• Housing: Plan Implementation
• Housing: Design Considerations
• Housing: Proposed Designs
• Housing: Logistics
• Housing: Costs of Construction
• Housing: Ownership, Management and Maintenance
• Indlovu Project Redevelopment Seed
• Housing: Enforcement, Tenure and Rent
• Community Centres: Background
• Community Centres: Plan Implementation
• Community Centres: Designs
• Community Centres: Logistics
• Community Centres: Management
• Community Centres: Employment, Job Descriptions and Finance
• Co-researcher coordination
• College Assessment Exams
• Final Celebration
• Outside Organizations
• Photo Service
• Participatory Media Outlets
• Redevelopment Tensions
• Advancing the Co-Reasercher Program
• Bringing Outside Organizations to Monwabisi Park
• Community Interview Questions
• Exploring Community Views
• MOT Proposal
• Photography as a Community Initiative
• Photography Proposal
• Cited Sources
• Redevelopment Process
• Guest House Suggestions
• Our Overnight Experience
• Volunteer Program Suggestions
• Small Business Week
• Imiza Moyethu
• Sustainability Plan
• Fundraising Methods
• Indlovu Project Hiring Concerns
• Indlovu Project Presentation
• Spaza Shop Interviews
• Complementary Currency
• Microfinance
• Tall Poppy Syndrome
• Craft and Tourism Excursion
• Arivi Safe Paraffin Stove
• Evaluation of Energy Sources
• Interviews and Surveys
• ParaSafe Primus Stove
• Presentations
• Safe Stove Implementation
• Analysis of Paraffin Stoves
• Recommendations for Monwabisi Park
• Electricity Usage
• Home Heating
• Rocket Stoves
• Solar Cooking
• Wind Energy
• The Hot Box
• Stoves Currently Being Used
• Inexpensive
• Socially Acceptable
• Sustainable
• Annotated Bibliography
• Blackwater Recycling System
• Effective Microorganisms
• Case Study: Yosemite National Park
• Wetland Gardens for Waste Water Management
• Feed a Family
• Current Gardens in Monwabisi Park
• Barrier Planting
• Container Gardens
• Rooftop Gardens
• Regional Environmental Council
• Soil for Life
• Companion Planting
• Earthworm Farming
• Permaculture
• Sustainable Development
• The Benefits of Urban Greening
• Lighting Proposal
• Mew Way Sidewalk Proposal
• Monwabisi Park Redevelopment Framework
• GIS Mapping
• Housing Organization
• Infrastructure Design
• Responses to the Informal Settlement in Hout Bay
• Synopsis of Spatial Mapping and Planning
• The Phola Park Informal Settlement
• Topographic Modeling
• Bibliography
• Google Earth
• Redevelopment Seed Proposal
• Roads Proposal
• Storm Water Management
• Background Appendices
• Current Conditions and Common Practices within Monwabisi Park
• Establishing Collaborations
• Future Testing
• History of Water and Sanitation in South Africa
• Effective Community-Led Redevelopment: Karachi, Pakistan
• Infrastructure after Rapid Urbanization: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
• The MobiSan Project: Pooke se Bos Settlement, Cape Town
• Wastewater Treatment through Constructed Wetlands: Florence, Italy
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• Reference List
• 1. Toilets, Urinals, and Primary Waste Management
• 2. Composting and Pasteurization
• 3. Improved Taps
• 4. Hand Washing Station
• 5. Laundry Station
• 6. Grey Water Management
• 7. Caretaker Role and Educational Component
• 8. Facility Perimeter
• First Week Plans
• Pre-Travel Planning
• Interactions
• Meeting Strategies
• Interview Planning
• Week One Plan
• Beyond Week One
• Welcome to Langrug
• Key Areas of Focus
• CTPC Context
• Setting the Stage
• Sponsor: Community Organisation Resource Centre
• Sponsor: Department of Integrated Human Settlements
• Project Planning

The entrance of an informal settlement (City Mission)

More than 800 million people reside in slums worldwide, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These people often live under the threat of eviction, without permanent housing, sufficient living space, or access to clean water. In South Africa, decades of legal and social inequity have led to a large population living in informal slums in and around urban areas. Apartheid legislation forced non-whites from urban centres into underdeveloped townships, whose severe lack of housing forced many to build their own improvised shacks. A dependence on urban areas for jobs also contributed to the growth of slums, as the non-whites forced out of the city flocked back to overpopulated areas to find work.

These slums contain a variety of issues – shack organization, utility services, and social services. The first type of issues are related to the location of shacks within a settlement. Oftentimes, when travelling through a settlement, shacks are built at inconsistent intervals, some crowded, some spaced apart. Most roads are consequently irregular and often do not have space for a car. This makes emergency vehicle transportation through the settlements difficult or impossible, preventing emergency services from reaching the settlements. The shacks themselves are made from a variety of low cost, or discarded material – usually wood, zinc, or plastic. The heavy use of wood and crowding of settlements creates an extreme fire risk for most settlements. In terms of services, most settlements lack or have limited access to water, electricity, and sanitation. Beyond the physical settlement are the social issues. Most settlements lack legal representation, schooling, and community spaces like gardens or parks.

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Within the informal settlements domain, we are focusing on the following cities:

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Global Informal Settlements and Urban Slums in Cities and the Coverage

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• Mona F. Badran 5 &
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Informal settlements and slums are growing fast worldwide despite governments, local authorities, and international institutions efforts to curb their expansion. Slums are forming about 30 percent of the world’s urban population (1033 billion dwellers), and causing major challenges. Slums are also affected by migrations and climate change impacts. In the time of COVID-19, slums are becoming more vulnerable to many health, economic, and social problems. This chapter highlights the background of slums’ metaphor worldwide. It also showcases the six largest slums in Latin America, Asia, and Africa as well as other slums in Venezuela. In addition, this chapter discusses the size of the problem in slums as well as the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the chapter outlines urban slums’ upgrading and progress efforts post the New Urban Agenda (NUA) as well as the status of urban slums and sustainable development goals (SDGs), since the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has slowed down the progress in SDGs attainment worldwide. Furthermore, this chapter presents the structure of the book, which is articulated over two main parts and encompasses eight chapters (including this chapter). Finally, a note from the lead author is presented.

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Aboulnaga, M.M., Badran, M.F., Barakat, M.M. (2021). Global Informal Settlements and Urban Slums in Cities and the Coverage. In: Resilience of Informal Areas in Megacities – Magnitude, Challenges, and Policies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87794-1_1

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NAIROBI 25 May 2019 – A dynamic discussion between UN-Habitat, civil society, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), community organizations and others took place on the sidelines of the first UN-Habitat Assembly.

The Global Stakeholders meeting discussed included equality, slum upgrading, investments, partnerships and inclusivity.

A key issue was how to move away from piecemeal slum upgrading and policies that result in more slums to strategically working with local governments to provide good facilities and services in rural areas to reverse the trend of migration to urban areas. It is estimated that the 1 billion who live in slums and informal settlements will grow to 3 billion by 2050 without more action.

Rose Molokoane, the coordinator of Slum Dwellers International in South Africa brought home her country’s experience in dealing with huge inequality twenty-five years after apartheid was abolished.

Molokaone and her community organization is pushing for inclusion, integration and for those living in informal settlements to be able to own their own homes.

“Our government is talking about integration and everybody moving from the settlements to the city. Can a poor person afford to buy a mansion in the city? We want to create our own informal cities meaning that if we get security of tenure, if we are allowed to build our own houses then we can create our own settlements,“ she said.

UN-Habitat’s Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif said the focus of UN-Habitat’s 2020 – 2025 Strategy Plan is reducing poverty and inequality of services in urban and rural areas, improving the urban environment and building capacity to effectively respond to urban crises.

"We want to do less but with focus, create partnerships. Share successes and challenges. Be better. We need to have the capacity to deal with the migration crisis as well as national disasters and violence. UN-Habitat is not a first responder. We go into countries to give technical advise to revitalise and reconstruct"

The UN-Habitat Assembly will run at the UN compound in Nairobi from 27 – 31 May 2019.

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Opinion Lydia Polgreen

South Africa Is Not a Metaphor

Credit... Lindokuhle Sobekwa for The New York Times

Supported by

By Lydia Polgreen

Ms. Polgreen is an Opinion columnist. She reported across South Africa for 10 days for this column.

• June 1, 2024

If you want to understand why the party that liberated South Africa from white rule lost its parliamentary majority in the election this week, you need to look no further than Beauty Mzingeli’s living room. The first time she cast a ballot, she could hardly sleep the night before.

“We were queuing by 4 in the morning,” she told me at her home in Khayelitsha, a township in the flatlands outside Cape Town. “We couldn’t believe that we were free, that finally our voices were going to be heard.”

That was 30 years ago, in the election in which she was one of millions of South Africans who voted the African National Congress and its leader, Nelson Mandela, into power, ushering in a new, multiracial democracy.

But at noon on Wednesday, Election Day, as I settled onto a sofa in her tidy bungalow, she confessed that she had not yet made up her mind about voting — she might, for the first time, she told me, cast a ballot for another party. Or maybe she might do the unthinkable and not vote at all.

“Politicians promise us everything,” she sighed. “But they don’t deliver. Why should I give them my vote?”

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Research Proposal Informal settlements: A case study on the informal settlements of Kabul City, Afghanistan.

Informal or squatter settlements or as referred to slums during the 18th century are still existed in a large number in our society and they are created by low income or poor people or a result of having an adequate planning systems. The origin can be traced back to the “Victorian Slums” in England during mid of 18th century where the word of slum appeared for the first time in the reports (UN HABITAT, 2007). Today this is a major issue in many developing countries, such as Afghanistan, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Latin America and many more. Numerous governments and humanitarian aid organizations such as United Nations, World Bank, UN-HABITAT and USAID have gathered up to fight this problem and how they can find suitable solutions for them. Afghanistan as a developing country which recently has been retrieved from a long war and it is one of those countries that its urbanization is affected widely by the informal living conditions. The main aim of this paper is to find the key factors for the creation of these informal settlements in the Kabul city, the capital of Afghanistan. However these settlements in most cases are not slums which are described by the Oxford dictionary “a squalid and overcrowded urban street or district inhabited by very poor people”. I would argue that there are people in these areas, who are counted as the top income bracket people in the society, therefore in Kabul these places are a mixture of both rich and poor people, and often they are called informal settlements. The study will gather qualitative data from the participants such as local residents, academic and government officials and quantitative data from the current planning system policies and secondary source information from organization involved in the urban planning process.

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