A RESEARCH REPORT PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG, IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT OF THE MASTER OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT (HOUSING). JOHANNESBURG 2014 / Based on evidence of the performance of a public-private partnership (PPP) housing arrangement in Masvingo City, Zimbabwe, I argue that PPPs may not thrive in youthful democracies entrenched in informal approaches to project management. The PPP strategy which was meant to deliver about 10 000 housing units in Masvingo City has dismally failed to live to its expectation, save for an ignited spirit of cooperativism. This is in spite of what was dubbed as a potentially promising partnership strategy involving indigenous private developers and contractors. Yet the compulsory acquisition of urban and peri-urban farmland country-wide presented powerful launch pad for a promisingly successful housing delivery that is widely expected to wipe out serious housing deficits. Housing problems were recently further compounded by Operation Murambatsvina in 2005 which ruthlessly demolished all informal housing and left several hundreds of thousands homeless. Following an insightful in-depth interview methodology and several ground-truthing trips to the Victoria Ranch Housing Project site, I argue that Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) arrangements in terms of legal, administrative and financial aspects were weak to enable successful implementation of a formal PPP strategy. The arrangements advertently or inadvertently promoted privatism instead of the mutually beneficial PPP arrangement. As such, there were no clear regulatory mechanisms and modalities to enable beneficiation of the targeted low-income people and other economically weaker sections of the Masvingo City Community. There are fears that undeserving better-offs could have hijacked the scheme. However, a commendable resilience has emerged through a resurgent self-help housing delivery approach resulting in many self-built houses in what is widely viewed as a “peculiar” parallel development. While it could be too early to meaningfully comment on the long-term performance of the PPP approach, it is clear that justice has not been done to low-income people in Masvingo who remain largely homeless.

Abstract With Harare, Zimbabwe, as my reference city, the aim of the study was to explore and substantiate how architecture and landscape can work together to facilitate platforms for the interaction between ‘‘people and nature’’ and ‘‘amongst the people’’. The theoretical themes that helped guide the investigation are phenomenology, place attachment, ecotherapy, healing environments, environmental psychology and sustainability. Over the years Harare has suffered economic downturn which has led to a rapid disintegration of its socio-economic and biophysical systems including physical infrastructure. This has negatively affected the people, creating an atmosphere of disconnection and apathy towards their environment and to each other. The study pursues the objective of a sustainable antidote for the city through development of a healing environment that would rejuvenate, reconnect and inspire the people of Harare to pursue sustainable life styles. Through renewed and reinvigorated relationships, the people can then begin to build one another and in turn develop a positive attitude towards their environment. No matter what the circumstances we are constantly drawn and connected to nature and to each other in a manner similar to what is often captured under the African spirit of Ubuntu. The design intervention developed into a Therapy Performing Arts Centre embedded in the landscape of an open public space in the city. The spaces engage with nature in order to create a sensual experience that seeks to tone down the pace of the people and get them to appreciate their surroundings and one another. The driving concept for the design was reconnecting through moments of pause and motion. The spaces were inspired by the existing paths as guidelines thus allowing the building and nature to be woven together through experiential journeys within the spaces provided. Embedding the building in the landscape allowed for the creation of an intimate connection to nature in order to re-ignite the humannature relationship and thus restoring balance, development and renewal to the health circle. In turn, and over time, this would begin to heal the human-to-human relationships as well. / MN (2016)

The population of Glen View, a high density residential area in Harare, Zimbabwe is increasing. The effects on area living conditions are deleterious. The situation is expected to deteriorate further due to projected population increases: This creative project presents strategic planning, through Recommendations and Guidelines, for the high density residential area of Glen View. This project involves recommending guidelines for innovative urban planning strategies to address the significant living difficulties existing in Glen View. The sources used were secondary and related published material along with the knowledge gained through my personal experience in the high density residential areas in Harare, Zimbabwe during the summer of 1990. It is intended that this project can serve as an example of how innovative planning can work to create a better quality of life for people living in high density residential areas in developing countries. / Department of Urban Planning