The current urban infrastructure and demographic development of Uganda and in particular of Kampala city is rapid and does not correspond to the planned socio-economic and industrial infrastructure. This project was justified by the existence of numerous peri-urban areas with unplanned and no monitored san-itary as well as water supply systems. The unsanitary handling and disposal, of domestic and industrial solid waste, sewerage and small car related industries pose a serious threat to the quality of the groundwater resources. Field studies were conducted at different occasions between February and March 2012. These included soil and water sampling in and around five protected springs for analysis of the concentrations of four trace metals: Cu, Pb, Cd and Zn. The method used for leaching tests of the soil samples was the European Standard ISO/TS21268-1, and the samples produced were analyzed in a ICP-MS. Addi-tionally, metal concentrations and dissolved organic content of water samples were analyzed. The ICP-MS results showed that the concentration of the trace metals in the waters were below guideline values stated by the WHO, which implies that the residents are not exposed to notable trace metal contamination in the drinking water. As the total metal content in the soils were below the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Swedish EPA) guidelines, it was assumed that trace metal contamination was not of significance under the pre-vailing circumstances. However, the leachable metal contents in a number of the soils were high, which may pose a future risk to groundwaters.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / This study investigates problems around provision of social housing with a specific focus in social housing programmes in South Africa. Research is looking at challenges faced by the municipality in making sure housing beneficiaries receive houses of their own. This challenge arises from the ability of government to provide enough and adequate houses to people with housing demand. The government has promised to provide for each citizen a roof over their head however the apparent housing allocation and distribution process has been slow with some parts of the society being excluded from the housing subsidy. Since 1994 after democracy took place, the government has built 1 million houses however this was not enough to secure houses for all, as many individuals are still living in shacks with little or no access to basic services. This paper looks at the challenges and experiences in social housing learnt by housing beneficiaries mainly in the Siyanyanzela Informal Settlement.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of a degree of Masters of Arts in Community Work in the Department of Social Work, at the University of Zululand, 2010. / South Africa has one of the most progressive legislative and policy frameworks for water and sanitation services in the world, which includes a constitutional right to water and a national free basic water policy. However, when it comes to the local government level (municipalities) who arestipulated with the duty to provide water and sanitation services not only in informal settlements, the reality is quite different.In many municipalities, water and sanitation services programs are still run according to long established routine and customs which have never been examined for their effectiveness or appropriateness to current conditions of the areas (informal settlements) where services are driven to. Nevertheless, the intention of this study was to evaluate municipality programs in addressing water and sanitation services in informal settlements. To produce data for thestudy, the questionnaires, interviews schedule and document review or analysiswas utilised.A sample of 10respondents was drawn from three Umhlathuze municipalities, namely: Richards Bay, Empangeni and Esikhawini municipalities. The findings from the study indicated that Umhlathuze municipality programs in addressing water and sanitation services in informal settlements is a failure, the municipality have a sour working relationship with the community, the criteria used to choose the strategy to the provision of the services does notencourage community participation, and finally, the municipalities are still using a bit of the past supply driven approach and the new approach; demand responsive approach simultaneously. The set objectives for the study were achieved, andmost importantly, it is recommended that fullcommunity participation at different levels and stages of water supply and sanitation service planning and implementation should be encouraged.

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Student Number : 8906043R - MSc research report - School of Architecture and Planning - Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment / This study engages with community participation in post-apartheid South Africa, in an attempt to discern participation approaches that might enhance development in the upgrading of informal settlements within the Metropolitan Cities. The research attempts to come up with an intervention strategy that incorporates participation of Community- Based Organisations, Community leaders and society into informal settlement interventions in South Africa. It reviews the South African framework and structures for informal settlement community participation (including civic organisations, other community-based organisatios, and elected statutory representation). It then examines to what extent lessons from the International literature review 2003 study conducted by Thabelo Nethenzheni may be relevant to the South African situation.

This master thesis is intended as a contribution to the understanding of the influence urban form has on urban life and by extension social structures in society, by focusing on gender relations and their reflections on the use of public space. In addition, the aim of the study is to do so in relation to a comparison between two different types of urban environments; one slum area that can be regarded as formally unplanned with an irregular gradually grown street network and one slum area of more deliberately planned character with a more regular street grid. With the use of quantitative methods, such as space syntax, structured observations and correlations studies, differences in co-presence between women and men, in the form of staying in public space, and between the areas are discovered. With the addition of qualitative methods, such as interviews and unstructured observations, as well as a review of the context in which the study is set and a theoretical discourse the reasons behind the differences is discussed. It is suggested that the blurred distinctions between private and public space often found in slum areas and the division of responsibilities and activities between women and men in the given context results in a certain degree of gender segregation in public space. Women are often restricted to the space in proximity of their homes, why it becomes an extension of their homes as well as a space for interaction which creates semi-public spaces. As men more often socialise further away from home in spaces of more public function, this creates a certain degree of segregation between women and men in public space. The most significant physical difference between the study areas proved to be the hierarchal properties of the street network. The clearer hierarchy in the unplanned area implicates that the spaces where women stays generally is of a lower degree of public function. The regular street grid of the planned area resulted in a more even distribution of public function, why men more often also stays in the semi-public spaces in residential alleys. In this way the built environment in the unplanned area reflects and reproduces gender relations in the use of public space. An implication is that since the correspondence between social structures in society and the use of public space is something that can assumed be effected by design, the urban designer has continuously in the context of development of slum areas in the developing world, and in general, an important role to play.

Metro Manila, Philippines is one of the densest and fastest growing metropolitan regions in the world, of which informal urbanization is a significant contributor. This rapid informal urbanization is a dynamic yet uncoordinated force shaping the city-region, in conflict with the vision of a modern, globally-competitive city-region painted in formal planning instruments. Despite manifold efforts, urban planning and housing mechanisms have been unable to adequately address the issue of informal settlements in the metropolis. In this degree project, I investigate how formal planning policy and housing governance practices in Metro Manila can better engage with urban informality towards sustainable and just urban development.While informality is a complex phenomenon that still eludes definition, theories suggest that it is a mode of urbanization that works between the gaps of formality in the production of the city. As they are recreated through the same structural conditions, it is possible to use informality as a lens to critically analyze urban formality and the direction of urban development. Building on this, I examine the generative context, social construction, and interactions of structure and human agency that shape formal and informal urbanization in Metro Manila through interviews and document review.Through this study, I propose three points to consider in the urban development of Metro Manila. First, I posit that urban planning based on land use regulation cannot enhance spatial justice when property is inaccessible to the urban poor. In a market-led property setting, land use planning becomes an instrument for gentrification. Second, I problematize the concept of property ownership being the basis of ‘formality’ in Philippine policy and consequently the perceived solution to the issues of informal settlements. Reconsidering informality as a way of claiming the right to the city, I argue that spatial justice entails addressing access to housing tenure, employment, welfare and social networks rather than ‘formalizing the informal’. Finally, I question the ability of current processes of democratic governance in securing the common good within a context of unequal power relations. Instead, I propose that political will should be constructed from the grassroots to redefine the desired direction of urban development.

Securing universal, safe, inclusive and affordable water and sanitation services, as targeted by SDG 6, is a challenge for urban settings. Particularly in informal settlements of Mukuru, Nairobi, were its crowded population, insecure land tenure and location in areas prone to environmental hazards places their inhabitants at greater risk of water and sanitation insecurity. Policy and research approaches to measure water and sanitation insecurity lack of a standard tool to assess the multiple dimensions that account for inequalities at the individual level. This study aimed to assess individual water and sanitation insecurity at Mukuru SPA. A novel 21 item insecurity scale was developed addressing water and sanitation availability, accessibility, affordability, perceived water quality, inadequate sanitation and hygiene. Three segments of the Mukuru SPA were selected. Data was collected from 302 individuals through a household survey. Statistical analysis was performed with SAS University software to identify water and sanitation conditions in the area, measure levels of water and sanitation insecurity, examine associations of insecurity levels and socio-economic characteristics and test the validity of the tool. Results indicated that most residents used water sources and sanitation facilities considered improved by global monitoring standards. Nonetheless, more than 50% of the residents of two of the studied segments had higher levels of water and sanitation insecurity. Individuals that were females, belonged to the lowest income ranges or that resided in young female or young male (<18 years old) headed-household were found more vulnerable to water and sanitation insecurity. Significant correlations of water and sanitation insecurity with time spent collecting water and sanitation cost/day, as well as correlations with number of trips to collect water and water cost/day validated the use of the tool. / Att borga för universella, säkra, inkluderande och prisvärda vatten- och sanitetstjänster, som riktas mot SDG 6 (Sustainable Development Goal), är en utmaning inom urbana miljöer. Särskilt i de informella, överbefolkade bosättningarna i Mukuru, Nairobi, belägna i förorenade och utsatta områden med oklara ägarförhållanden av marken, utsätts invånarna för ökade sanitära risker kopplade till vattenkvaliteten. Policy- och forskningsmetoder för att mäta vatten-och sanitetssäkerhet saknar ett standardverktyg för att bedöma de många dimensioner som orsakas av ojämlikhet på individnivå. Denna studie syftade till att bedöma individuell vatten- och sanitet osäkerhet hos Mukuru SPA (Special Planning Area). Baserat på 21 punkter har en ny vatten- och sanitet osäkerhetsskala utvecklats för att undersöka tillgänglighet, tillgång, överkomlighet, upplevd vattenkvalitet, sanitet och hygien. Tre områden av Mukuru SPA valdes. Data samlades in från 302 individer genom en enkätundersökning riktad till hushåll. En statistisk analys utfördes med hjälp av SAS University-programvara för att identifiera vatten och sanitetsförhållanden i området, mäta nivåer av vatten- och sanitet osäkerhet, undersöka kopplingar mellan graden av sårbarhet och socioekonomiska förhållanden, samt testa verktygets validitet. Resultaten visar att de flesta boende använde vattenkällor och sanitetsinstallationer vilka anses ha förbättrats med hjälp av internationella övervakningsstandarder. Detta till trots hade mer än 50% av invånarna i två av de studerade områdena höga nivåer av vatten och sanitet osäkerhet. Kvinnor, tillhörande de områden där medelinkomsten var lägst, boende i hushåll med en ung man eller kvinna (<18 år gamla) som “husbonde”, visade sig mest sårbara för vatten- och sanitet osäkerhet. Tydliga samband mellan vatten-och sanitet osäkerhet och kostnad per dag och tid för att hämta vatten, samt korrelation mellan antal resor för att hämta vatten och vattenkostnad per dag, validerar användningen av verktyget. Verktyget kan hjälpa lokala myndigheter att snabbt överblicka vatten-och sanitation osäkerhet och rikta resurser mot de mest sårbara personerna inför de planerade satsningarna på höjd levnadsstandard i Mukuru SPA. Det är önskvärt att ta hänsyn till de olika behov som könsskillnad medför, såväl som att säkerställa kostnadsmässigt överkomliga vatten- och sanitetstjänster för de mest sårbara grupperna i Mukuru SPA. Ett vattenprov bör åtfölja användningen av verktyget för att förstärka tillförlitligheten i mätningar av vattensäkerhet.

“We are neither living nor dying, we are something in between” Since the beginning of history, the living and the dead have been separated. This has made it almost im- possible to co-live together under one roof. We, ‘the living’, have even created “deathscapes” which have set a clear boundary between us and them, ‘the dead’. In every society, with its own cultural norms and rituals, they act with the dead in their own way - some are buried, others are burnt, but what is common across all societies is that they are not evident in our lives anymore. Looking at it from an urban perspective, the dead occupy a big patch of land in every city. This acts as a burden, as it makes “forbidden spaces” where the living is not able to be part of it. However, in each topic, there is a lesson that can be learned from it. In this case, it’s a 6km stretch informally and formally built, with a rich history and poor squatters who have no choice except to dwell with the dead. This is City of the Dead, located in Cairo, Egypt. The extreme lack of housing has pushed a part of society to live informally in cemeteries, where they have learned to co-live in the same room as the dead; they’ve embraced the idea of sleeping next to the dead, working and playing on those deathscapes. But ever since the government announced that they will demolish those deathscapes as a part of demolishing all informal settlements in Cairo, the time has come to make a stand against this decision, instead learning from their “life hack” and applying it throughout the City of the Dead – creating a society where the dead and living are not separated, maximizing the lost potentials in cases such as City of the Dead and making them not looked down upon and marginalized. This thesis aims to design the city and improve the lives of people living in these cemeteries, dealing with each case with care and compassion.

Informal settlements are a relatively new phenomenon in Yemen, first documented in the 1980s (El-Shorbagi, 2008; 2007). They have since grown at a very rapid rate. Sana'a City, the nation's capital, alone has an estimated 35 informal settlements that together contain 20.5 percent of that urban center's population (El-Shorbagi, 2008; 2007). To date, the Yemeni government has paid limited attention to informal settlements. The government has not developed any specific planning policies to address their needs, partly due to meager resources and professional capacities, and partly as a consequence of conflicting (and higher priority) needs (World Bank, 2010a). The unchecked growth of informal settlements has alarmed local and national authorities as well as international organizations and recently caused officials in these entities to begin to consider seriously how to address this new community reality. This dissertation explores the engagement of state and non-state actors in informal settlement governance in Sana'a. The analysis offered here employs Mahwa Aser, the largest and most controversial informal settlement in Sana'a, as an exemplar for a broader set of concerns for all of Sana'a\s informal communities. The dissertation provides a nuanced portrait of Yemeni government capacities, policies, and practices related to Sana'a's informal settlements generally and to Mahwa Aser particularly via the perspectives and activities of multiple stakeholders, including, importantly, the community's residents. It explores the active governance roles of non-governmental and international organizations seeking to provide services in these communities as well. It also explores ways to build informal community residents' capacities to work with government and with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), and international governmental organizations (IGOs) to address their many basic needs. The analysis draws on personal interviews with key stakeholders, including long-time residents of Mahwa Aser, responsible government officials, and relevant leaders of NGOs, INGOs, and IGOs in Yemen, U.S.A., and Egypt. The author also examined government and international organization reports and documents to gain insight into the governance challenges linked to continued growth of informal communities in Yemen. The study identifies a number of factors that have led to worsening living conditions in Mahwa Aser and other informal settlements in Sana'a. Taken together they suggest the Yemeni government and its partners may need to work far more self-consciously with informal community residents to establish shared goals and clear expectations. Those entities engaged collectively in governing these communities in Sana'a and in Yemen more generally will need to develop reliable policies and coherent programs within a transparent governance framework if the very difficult living conditions in such communities are to be improved. In particular, governance actors will need to devise ways and means to develop government capacities and resources even as they work to address community infrastructure and service needs in a sometimes daunting socio-cultural and economic context. / Ph. D.