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Article
Publication date: 1 March 2012

Donovan Gottsmann and Amira Osman

Poor living conditions in informal settlements may be attributed mostly, though not exclusively, to the lack of basic services. Informal settlements, which also go by the name of…

Abstract

Poor living conditions in informal settlements may be attributed mostly, though not exclusively, to the lack of basic services. Informal settlements, which also go by the name of squatter camps, are volatile by nature. Even within relatively fixed settlement boundaries, change in urban fabric continually manifests through altering dwelling configurations. Deemed unstable and unsafe by formal criteria, these environments disclose schizophrenic characteristics: beyond the dirt, grime and smog, exist relatively functional societies capable of survival and self-regulation.

Public and private sector investment within informal settlements is restricted as a result of their illegal status. Inhabitants have no incentive to invest their own resources where they have no formal tenure over the land. Due to a rather backward approach to informality in South Africa, innovation in dealing with these settlements has been limited. Despite the fact that the rhetoric has sometimes changed from eradication to upgrading, little has been done with regards to alternative forms of settlement development that has relevance in terms of improving the lives of informal settlement dwellers.

With rising anger in poverty-stricken areas and on the peripheries of cities, what is needed is improved service delivery through immediate solutions. This article suggests a service delivery core, an architectural catalyst, rooted to the ‘energy’ of the public realm, stimulating growth of infrastructure networks. This catalyst core aims to instigate the amelioration of the surrounding environment.

The concept presented is that of a dynamic service core – universal in principle – while also being contextually-driven by responding to a specific environment and needs of a specific community. A generic architectural solution is thus presented to providing basic services and infrastructure within informal settlements, with focussed consideration for the unique situation of an informal settlement in Mamelodi, Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa. It is important to realise that there is no final product, but rather an organic architecture that adapts in a process of continuous and progressive change.

Details

Open House International, vol. 37 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 April 2019

Dorina Pojani

While a substantial amount of study of informal settlements has been undertaken, they remain largely unstudied in terms of urban form. In this analysis, the purpose of this paper…

1120

Abstract

Purpose

While a substantial amount of study of informal settlements has been undertaken, they remain largely unstudied in terms of urban form. In this analysis, the purpose of this paper is to set forth a conceptual framework, which considers the context in which informality takes place, the settlement itself, the houses contained therein, the dwellers of those houses and the process through which a settlement is designed and transformed over time.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a literature review.

Findings

This framework aims to be sufficiently flexible to be deployed across diverse national settings. Its formulation is important because informal settlements are a permanent fixture of the global urban landscape, and are increasing in scale.

Originality/value

Any sustainable strategies to improve informal settlements depend on a better understanding of their urban space, as well as of the producers of this space – the residents themselves. Finally, professional designers may be able to learn from this contemporary urban vernacular grammar – perhaps the only one left in the era of sanitized, contrived and prosaic urban design.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 February 2022

Aloysius Clemence Mosha, Loyd Sungirirai, Bajehofi Aliciah Dick and Partson Paradza

The purpose of this study is to inform policy and contribute to the existing literature on low-income housing.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to inform policy and contribute to the existing literature on low-income housing.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, a case study approach was adopted, and data were collected through secondary data collection that is literature survey and through empirical data collection by conducting face to face interviews and survey of key stakeholders, citizens, and government authorities, and in some cases supplemented by on site photography. The data collected from the field was analysed using quantitative and qualitative techniques. The questionnaires were coded for scientific analysis of data. The information was presented in a structured way that permits for in-depth analysis of the data.

Findings

In this study, many paradoxes were noted defying common sense, but nonetheless, they require a solution. It has been concluded that, while efforts to improve settlements and anticipate future ones are becoming more common, the desire for eradication persists in many towns in Botswana.

Research limitations/implications

The major limitation of this study is that it was done during the period of COVID-19 induced movement restrictions. As a result, the preferred face to face interviews with key informants were not possible.

Practical implications

This research informed policy on low-income housing in Botswana. The Government of Botswana can use the findings of this study to formulate policies which help in alleviating challenges currently faced in practice when implementing low-income housing projects. The concept of low-income housing has been adopted by many developing countries including in Africa. As such, results of this study can also be applicable in other developing countries where they can be used as a starting point for evaluating the success of policies and the practice of low-income housing.

Originality/value

This work made original contribution to knowledge by putting the plight of housing the urban poor in Botswana will in perspective.

Book part
Publication date: 10 November 2011

Mauro Normando Macêdo Barros Filho and Circe Maria Gama Monteiro

This chapter aims to discuss the segmented city in the less developed world, focusing on its informal settlements. The main assumption is that the walls of informal settlements

Abstract

This chapter aims to discuss the segmented city in the less developed world, focusing on its informal settlements. The main assumption is that the walls of informal settlements change from rigid to fuzzy ones, as they are analyzed using finer scales. In order to show this change, this chapter is divided into four sections. The first section analyzes the changes in two types of urban structure model: the segregated city model and the segmented city model. The second section describes the changes in governmental intervention models for informal settlements in Latin American cities, emphasizing what has been happening in the city of Recife, Brazil. The third section investigates the fact that, despite the changes in terms of governmental intervention models for informal settlements, there are still limits on the official city maps that effectively impede any appropriate representation of them. In order to show the gaps between the official cartographic representations and the reality of informal settlements, the last section of this chapter analyzes in more depth the walls of one specific informal settlement in Recife called Brasília Teimosa. This finer scale analysis allows us to see that its walls are even more fuzzy and permeable than the walls of the many formal settlements.

Article
Publication date: 10 August 2010

Clinton Ohls Aigbavboa and Wellington D. Thwala

The purpose of this paper is to give an insight into lessons learned so far on the in situ upgrading and eradication of informal settlements in South Africa. This is with a view…

1087

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to give an insight into lessons learned so far on the in situ upgrading and eradication of informal settlements in South Africa. This is with a view to accessing progress made to date, the line of focus and to ascertain whether in situ upgrading or eradication of informal settlement is the best option in solving the problem of informal settlement integration into the large society.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is conducted with reference to existing theoretical literature, published and unpublished South Africa research. The study is mainly a literature survey/review and looks at challenges that have been overcome to bring about the success made to date, thus striving to achieve the goals and objectives of a city without slums. The research ties up the identified challenges with recommendations to the problems to enhance the reality of having a city without slums.

Findings

One of the primary findings that emanated from the study revealed that all development where people have to be displaced or inconvenienced has come with problems. Other findings attribute the little success achieved to date to the in situ upgrading of the existing settlement and the eradication of the settlement. Though policy activated has not been well implemented for the betterment of all, progress has been made nonetheless.

Originality/value

The upgrading and eradication of informal settlement have long been a subject of global discussion, which has taken firmer root since it was declared to be one of the Millennium Development Goals agenda. The paper contributes to this body of knowledge.

Details

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, vol. 3 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 March 2019

Musawenkosi Gcinumuzi Ndlangamandla and Carin Combrinck

Construction practices used in the development of self-help housing and upgrade of informal settlements are believed to have negative effects on the natural environment. The…

Abstract

Purpose

Construction practices used in the development of self-help housing and upgrade of informal settlements are believed to have negative effects on the natural environment. The purpose of this paper is to examine this idea by conducting a study on purposely selected informal settlements located in Mbabane, Kingdom of Eswatini, to determine the environmental sustainability of construction practices used in these areas and to offer an approach that can mitigate the environmental degradation witnessed in informal settlements.

Design/methodology/approach

The study comprised of three major components – literature review, situational analysis and research output. A literature review informed the extent of the problem and served to identify categories of assessment. A situational analysis of construction practices in informal settlements was done through the use of a structured checklist tool. Pattern matching was used as an analysis to evaluate the environmental sustainability of the identified construction practices.

Findings

Empirical results indicate a lack of environmental sustainability in the identified construction practices used. The challenges identified included the wrong choice of building material, inefficiency in energy use, a threat to biodiversity, poor planning and a lack of construction control measures. The research output was a framework encouraging affordable, sustainable and regenerative construction practices believed to be a viable solution to the environmental challenges within informal settlements. It was concluded that current construction practices used within informal settlements lead to negative environmental effects.

Originality/value

The framework offered in this study is believed to mitigate the negative effects on the natural environment in informal settlements.

Details

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6099

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 October 2020

David Rush, Greg Bankoff, Sarah-Jane Cooper-Knock, Lesley Gibson, Laura Hirst, Steve Jordan, Graham Spinardi, John Twigg and Richard Shaun Walls

Globally, over 95% of fire related deaths and injuries occur in low- and middle-income countries. Within informal settlements, the risk of fire resulting in injury or death is…

Abstract

Purpose

Globally, over 95% of fire related deaths and injuries occur in low- and middle-income countries. Within informal settlements, the risk of fire resulting in injury or death is particularly high. This paper examines fire risks in informal settlements in New Delhi and Cape Town, and tented informal settlements in Lebanon.

Design/methodology/approach

Our analysis draws on primary sources, secondary literature, statistical data and qualitative interviews.

Findings

The distribution of fire risk across urban societies is a fundamentally political issue. Residential fire risk can be tackled by accessible, affordable, safety-compliant housing. That said, important interim measures can be taken to mitigate fire risk. Some of the risks requiring attention are similar across our case studies, driven by high population densities; flammable housing materials; unreliable or inaccessible access to safe power sources; and – in the case of Cape Town and New Delhi particularly – the inability of fire services to reach sites of fire. However, these common risks are embedded in distinct social, economic and political contexts that must be placed at the center of any intervention. Interventions must also be aware that the risk of fire is not spread evenly within informal settlements, intersecting as it does with factors like gender, age, health and disability.

Originality/value

Informal settlement fires have been under-studied to date. The studies that do exist tend to operate within disciplinary silos. This paper represents an important interdisciplinary approach to fire within informal settlements, which grounds technical data, modeling and experiments in political, social and economic realities.

Details

Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, vol. 29 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-3562

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 14 May 2018

Eva Schwab

This chapter presents the topic of the ‘new generation’ of upgrading initiatives in informal settlements in Latin America and the rationale for this book, its objectives and…

Abstract

This chapter presents the topic of the ‘new generation’ of upgrading initiatives in informal settlements in Latin America and the rationale for this book, its objectives and research questions, focusing on the issues of spatial justice and public open spaces in informal settlements. It also provides a short insight into the research setting, i.e. the social, economic and physical characteristics of the case study location, Comuna 13 in Medellín, including short descriptions about the three spaces that were investigated in detail. It also provides a brief overview of the research methodology applied.

Details

Spatial Justice and Informal Settlements
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78714-767-6

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 November 2023

Fauster Agbenyo, Miller Williams Appau and Eunice Yorgri

This paper aims to examine landlords’ health support systems to tenants to control COVID-19 in selected informal settlement rental housing (ISRH) in Ghana, dwelling on landlords’…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine landlords’ health support systems to tenants to control COVID-19 in selected informal settlement rental housing (ISRH) in Ghana, dwelling on landlords’ views.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper used the concurrent imbedded mixed-methods approach and grounded the findings in the socio-ecological theory. The authors collected both qualitative and quantitative data from 242 landlords in 13 informal settlements across Ghana using quotas. The authors undertook semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews. The authors conducted content and thematic qualitative data analysis and used simple descriptive statistical data analysis.

Findings

The paper discovered that tenants had limited knowledge on the transmission of the pandemic, forcing landlords to regulate their building services usage, ventilation and thermal control, entertainment, common areas and rent advancement for tenants to control the pandemic. Also, tenants found it difficult to comply with the rules on ventilation for fear of criminal attacks, while high social connection and interaction among renters and inadequate enforcement caused the non-adherence by renters to social gathering. Again, landlords had difficulty in contract-tracing visitors suspected to be infected with the virus.

Originality/value

The use of concurrent and imbedded mixed methods to investigate landlords’ viewpoints on their support in health needs of their tenants to regulate COVID-19. The prescriptions from the study provide practical applications to formulate a mix of housing and health policies to formalize the support of landlords to their tenants in ISRH in Ghana.

Details

Housing, Care and Support, vol. 26 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1460-8790

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 September 2009

Moses Waithanji Ngware, Moses Oketch, Alex Chika Ezeh and Netsayi Noris Mudege

The purpose of this paper is to examine household characteristics and schooling decisions in terms of enrollment and type of school in an urban setting in Nairobi.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine household characteristics and schooling decisions in terms of enrollment and type of school in an urban setting in Nairobi.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a cross‐sectional data set collected in 2005. The sample comprises 7,475 primary school‐aged children. A probit model was estimated to show what influences decisions at household level.

Findings

Analysis shows that different household and individual attributes motivate different decisions. A considerable proportion (40 per cent) of children from the poorest quintile attends non‐public schools compared to 34 per cent from the richest quintile. The findings reveal that better‐off households are more represented in the free primary education (FPE) programme. The predicted probability of a decision to attend a public school for a primary school‐age child increases as the household wealth increases.

Practical implications

The paper concludes that poorer households are least attending and may be excluded from free public schools.

Originality/value

The paper demystifies the notion that introduction of FPE in developing countries is a pro‐poor policy.

Details

Equal Opportunities International, vol. 28 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0261-0159

Keywords

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