Urbanisation in South African cities is a worrying phenomenon. Cities such as the City of Johannesburg are faced with a severe housing backlog. This situation could be attributed to many issues such as lack of suitable land for housing, and the existence of informal settlements. This study has been undertaken to investigate whether the interventions implemented by City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality to eradicate informal settlements are effective in addressing challenges faced by informal settlement dwellers. In South Africa, informal settlement upgrading process is acknowledged as an effective means of eradicating informal settlements. In this regard, interventions to eradicate informal settlements require extensive research in order to have proposals for future policy interventions. This study has been also undertaken to make some recommendations that might resolve the challenges of informal settlements in the City of Johannesburg. / Public Administration and Management / M.A. (Public Administration)

Thesis (DPhil (Psychology))—University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / This study is located in the Joe Slovo informal settlement, Langa, Cape Town. This is a settlement much like many other townships in South Africa in that it is a disaster-prone, marginalised community. On the 15 January 2005 a fire ravaged the area, destroying 2 590 dwellings and leaving 12 950 people homeless. This qualitative study attempted to explore the personal perspectives of the survivors of this shack fire within the wider context of communal and socio-political variables. A number of interviews were conducted, some with the fire survivors, and others with service providers in the field of disaster management. Conservation of Resources (COR) theory was found to be a useful lens through which to analyse the data. The fire event itself is shown to have been a precipitant of a far longer and more complex chain of events and ongoing struggles for survival. Reactions to the fire and subsequent events, furthermore, must be understood at a number of levels – including at inter-personal and inter-group levels. The principles and corollaries of COR theory enable a deeper exploration of the disaster especially in terms of resource loss and the implications of survivors having been disadvantaged prior to the fire taking place. A number of pre-event issues are presented in order for this context to be fully understood. Two obstacles to community intervention are emphasised as key. First, the reality of what COR theory terms ‘communities within communities’ has implications for survivor behaviour. Second, the focus on the acute aftermath of the fire, and what COR theory terms the ‘avoidance of long-term needs’ is also crucial. COR theory facilitated the visibility of a link between the data and the use of space at an intergroup level. Despite the abolition of apartheid, segregation between groups in South Africa remains high. The current study made use of the social psychology of segregation to explore the inter-group conflict that emerged as the most salient and ongoing feature of this disaster. Although the current study is exploratory, it is hoped that it will encourage future research into the interface between space, inter-group relations and disaster.

Slum development in the Global South continues at a rapid pace, leading to a search for solutions to the severe environmental, social, and economical challenges facing these settlements. Informal economic activities are central to these communities’ survival and structure. Ownership policies have been initiated that contribute to security for residents, and there is evidence that this can lead to increased social and economic productivity. However, studies have also shown that broad ranging titling reforms may destroy existing networks, practices, and livelihoods of residents. This raises a fundamental question on how land titling and formalization of business ownership can be accomplished, while still maintaining local social networks and livelihoods. This thesis calls attention to the need to develop policy approaches that are context specific while also taking into account the complex economic networks that develop in informal settlements. / text

Diepsloot, a township in Johannesburg, South Africa, was used as a case study to explore the perceptions of people in informal settlements towards their role in limiting pollution in their environment. The method followed was qualitative, and primary data were collected through the use of key informants (Ward Councillor and Environmental Health Officer), and three focus groups. Diepsloot is a marginalised residential area located in the Northern perimeter of the City of Johannesburg. The settlement is spatially fragmented, reflects a high residential density and is plagued with high levels of unemployment and poverty. Compounded by poor municipal service delivery, these challenges lead to a range of environmental problems such as overflowing solid waste on the streets, water pollution, and high levels of indoor air pollution. The study found that there were varying levels of commitment to limiting pollution by people in the informal settlement. This (commitment to limiting pollution) was largely dependent on community action through the formation of street committees. In streets where there was community cohesion, street committees were stronger and environmental conditions were better. In contrast, environmental problems were worse where street committees were weak or not operating. Regarding the role of government, the major constraints leading to unresponsive interventions were the limited scale of municipal operation and their poor communication with residents. Suggested corrective measures include recycling, education on pollution and the need for institutional strengthening. Further research aimed at identifying a set of appropriate partnerships and institutions needed for responsive interventions in informal settlements is required.

Esta dissertação de mestrado versa sobre algumas questões acerca de participação, tais como estratégia na educação e para a cidadania, da conquista de espaços públicos em suas transformações físico-políticos e qualitativo na gestão ambiental. Trata-se da análise das experiências em assentamentos subnormais em que, apesar terem sido trabalhos contratados pelo poder público, o arquiteto/pesquisador procurou planejar, desenvolver e xecutar os projetos através da visão de quem estava recebendo os investimentos. Entendendo que participar é poder tomar decisão em algum processo que irá mudar o destino de uma determinada situação, de forma espontânea ou não, mirando um futuro que desde já no presente deve ser melhorado. Assim é preciso que os sujeitos sociais tomem de informações preciosas, e provoque discussões num espaço múltiplo, diversificado perceber e encarar as questões da paisagem relamente relevantes. Fruto da discussão, podem começar a aparecer soluções criativas, no processo de tomada de decisão que melhor atenda às necessidades e aos anseios da população em questão. Muitos foram os conflitos, principalmente, entre o arquiteto/pesquisador e o contratante/poder público, em virtude das diferenças de entendimento e abordagem, que se interpuseram na reconstrução de um espaço urbano em que, por lei, era obrigatório o envolvimento ou a participação do usuário para validar o próprio empréstimo. Entre essas diferenças estava a divergente concepção do que seria qualidade para a população, a que estariam destinadas os investimentos, constituídas de famílias de poucos recursos. Também apresenta uma síntese metodológica no aprimoramento para a elaboração de projetos e obras de urbanização de favelas, atendendo não apenas a administração pública como também a população que recebe o investimento tendo como desafio a dimensão de uma educação não-formal, potencializando uma maneira ativa de participação popular que aponta, partir da manifestação do coletivo, para uma qualidade de cidadania, que institui o cidadão como criador de direitos para abrir novos espaços, capaz de influenciar políticas públicas. / This masters degree dissertation addresses some issues regarding participation, such as education and citizenship strategies, in achieving public areas in their physical-political and qualitative transformation in the environment management. The dissertation is refering to the analysis of experiences in sub-normal settlements where the architect/researcher strived to plan, develop, and execute projects from the perspective of those receiving the investments, although Public Power contracted their jobs, by understanding that participating is being able to make decisions in some process that will change, either spontaneously or not, the destiny of a given situation, targeting a tomorrow which should be improved as of today. Thus, social individuals need to gather worthy information and stimulate discussions within a multiple environment that is diversified in away to perceive and cope with actually relevant issues of the scenario. Resulting from discussions, creative solutions may start to come up in the decision-making process that better meet the needs and wishes of the target population. Many conflicts ensued between the architect/researcher and the contracting party, Public Power, because of the differences of understanding and approach that interfered in the rebuilding of an urban area where the involvement or participation of users was mandatory by law to validate the loan itself. Among these differences, there was the divergent conception of what should be considered as quality for the population for whom investments were designated and what was constituted of low-income families. Also, what it is presents a methodological synthesis to improve project design and urbanization construction works in squatter settlements - favelas - by responding not only to public administration, but also to the population receiving the investment. The challenges include: the dimension of an informal education, and the empowerment of an active manner of popular participation that points to, from the populations manifestations, a citizenship quality, one which institutes the citizen as a rights designer to open new areas, enabled to influence public policies.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:22:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Daniela D Ambrosio.pdf: 484754 bytes, checksum: 53255ec03d858187f2b261872c2d4e72 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-10-23 / This dissertation presents the right to adequate housing as a fundamental right. Describes the content of that right, his prediction in the Federal Constitution, in legislation and in international human rights protection and exposes the gap between these predictions and reality. Comes from the huge number of people without adequate housing, comprising spaces characterized by the absence of the state. Identified are responsible for fulfilling that right and discussed their exposure to liability, as well as some possible ways of action of public authorities representatives of the three Powers. At the end, were brought into consideration three case studies that illustrate the points made in the theoretical and demonstrate the way in which they conducted some urban land conflicts / Esta dissertação apresenta o direito à moradia digna como um direito fundamental. Descreve o conteúdo desse direito, a sua previsão na Constituição Federal, na legislação e nas normas internacionais de proteção dos direitos humanos e expõe a lacuna existente entre essas previsões e a realidade brasileira. Trata do enorme número de pessoas sem moradia digna, que compõem espaços caracterizados pela ausência do Estado. São identificados os responsáveis pela satisfação do direito à moradia digna e discutidos os limites dessa responsabilidade, bem como algumas possíveis formas de atuação das autoridades públicas representantes dos três Poderes. Ao final, foram trazidos para reflexão três casos práticos, que ilustram as colocações feitas no plano teórico e demonstram o modo pelo qual foram conduzidos alguns conflitos fundiários urbanos

This Master thesis is written in the field of collaborative planning aiming to challenge the collaborative approach on it applicability, especially in the context of the Global South. As a case study it looks on the urban poor community participatory practice, the so called 're-blocking' in Cape Town – an example of insitu informal settlement upgrading. It questions not only to what extent re-blocking displays a successful approach of collaborative planing but also whether it can lead to more inclusive cities in South Africa. The field data was gained through qualitative semi-structured interviews, observations and an analysis of national housing policy documents. The findings evaluate re-blocking as a successful example of collaborative planning in the sense that local communities are truly involved in the process and have a lot of decision making power. Also, re- blocking can be replicable to other cities in South Africa. Yet it faces several risks in community mobilisation and communication and can only be operated on a small scale. Therefore, the thesis concludes that re-blocking itself may not lead to inclusive cities, however as an example of community participation it may change the mindset of the South African society and (local) government towards informal community inclusion.

Human migration in the world is an old and on-going phenomenon. Humans move from place to place across local and international boundaries for various reasons. International migration requires documentation such as visas, passports, resident and work permits that are required for one to legally migrate to, and settle in an area. However, there are people who enter countries without documentation, and such people are referred to as undocumented migrants. This research investigates undocumented immigration in Zambia, with reference to Lusaka City. The theoretical framework that underpinned the research comprised four theories of international migration. These were the neoclassical economics theory of migration, new economics of labour migration theory, dual labour market theory of migration, and Kunz’s refugee migration theory. This researcher adopted the intensive research design and used the case study method, where Lusaka City (Zambia) constituted the case study area. The researcher gathered primary data from the Lusaka City Council, the Zambian immigration department headquarters, and from the informal settlements of Chibolya, Mandevu and Matero. Questionnaires were administered to the sampled immigration officers and Lusaka City Council officers, and interviews were conducted with Zambians and undocumented immigrants in the informal settlements. The research findings showed that undocumented immigrant interviewees came from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region. The undocumented immigrant interviewees entered Zambia due to the peace and economic opportunities found in the country, as well as joining their relatives, spouses and friends who were already in Zambia. Once in Zambia, the undocumented immigrant interviewees migrated to Lusaka City mainly for economic reasons. The major economic activity that undocumented immigrant interviewees were engaged in, was trade. Others were employed in the informal sector. Cooperation and complaints (challenges) characterised the co-existence between the interviewed Zambians and undocumented immigrants. Furthermore, undocumented immigrants in the case study areas brought about socio-economic and cultural benefits to the Zambians. Undocumented immigrants also contributed to socio-economic and environmental challenges in the case study areas. The Zambian government worked towards addressing the challenges of undocumented immigration in Lusaka City and above all, reducing the phenomenon. Much literature and research on undocumented immigration focussed on the phenomenon at the national level, and not the local urban spatial scales. The research therefore aimed at investigating undocumented immigration in Zambia with specific reference to the urban locality of Lusaka City / Geography / M. Sc. (Geography)

Les périphéries des villes syriennes, les unes agricoles ou maraîchères, les autres désertiques, ont connu au cours des dernières décennies du XXème siècle un puissant mouvement d’urbanisation, qui a très souvent donné naissance à des quartiers non réglementaires ; ceux-ci occupent en moyenne 40% du territoire des agglomérations et à peu près le même pourcentage de leur population. La ville de Lattaquié, chef-lieu de mohafazat et principale ville de la Syrie méditerranéenne, se situe pratiquement au niveau de cette moyenne nationale. La thèse est consacrée d’abord à analyser les raisons pour lesquelles les quartiers « clandestins » occupent une telle place alors que les pouvoirs publics n’ont cessé pendant des années de nier leur réalité. L’analyse combine l’intensité des mouvements migratoires vers la ville, les faibles résultats de la production de logements sociaux par l’Etat, l’impéritie des sociétés immobilières publiques, le très faible investissement des capitaux privés dans le logement locatif, et enfin les contraintes multiples imposées tant par les pouvoirs publics que par la municipalité de Lattaquié aux auto-constructeurs ou aux petits promoteurs privés (gel du foncier, plans d’aménagement urbain non publiés, difficultés d’obtention des permis de construire, etc.). La thèse vise ensuite à étudier les changements opérés dans le champ de la production urbaine et de l’urbanisme à partir de l’an 2000 et de l’arrivée au pouvoir de Bachar Al-Assad. Après une analyse des changements intervenus au plan national, elle cherche à en mesurer les effets au plan local (Lattaquié). Elle insiste sur la généralisation de la tolérance envers les quartiers non réglementaires, l’émergence (lente) de politiques de requalification des quartiers de ce type, la réalisation d’un grand programme de logements sociaux subventionnés par l’Etat, apparition de quelques résidences « fermées » pour classes riches. / The outskirts of the Syrian’s cities, some of theme agriculturals or maraichers, others deserts, have known in the course of the last decades of the 20the century a strong movement of urbanization, which often have given rise to informal settlement ; those occupy on average 4% of the territory of agglomerations, and more or less, the same percentage of their inhabitants. The city of Lattakia, Capital of a mohafazat and a main city of the Mediterranean Syria, is practically situated on the same national level. This thesis is devoted, at first, to analyze the reasons for what, theses informal settlements occupy so much of place while the authorities have not stopped, during a years, to deny their reality. The analyze combine the intensity of the movement of migration toward the city, the slight result of the production of social housing by the State, the disability Of the public housing Societies, the very slight investment of the private capitals in the rented housing, last the many constraints imposed both by the authority and by the municipality of Lattakia on the auto-constructor and the little property developers (freeze land, non published developing plan, difficulty to obtaining a licence of construction, etc.). Then, the thesis aim to study the changes happened in the domain of the urban production and the urban planning starting from the year 2000 and the ascent of Bashar Al Assad to the power. After an analyze of the changes happened on the national level, the thesis try to measure the effects on the local one (Lattakia). It stress the generalization of the tolerance toward the informal settlements, the (slow) rising of upgrade policy for these type of settlements, the realisation of a social housing program subsidized by the state, the appearance of some “gated” housing for the rich class.

Essa Tese apresenta um framework para implementação de redesenho urbanístico de assentamentos informais no contexto da corrente atual do planejamento urbano integrado aos dos recursos hídricos, focado na conservação da água e na sustentabilidade ambiental. Entre outros, sugere-se a implantação do desenho urbanístico de forma participativa e colaborativa. Apresenta-se, de forma ilustrativa proposta de redesenho para a comunidade da Vila Cascatinha localizada na Baixada de Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro, região de expansão da cidade, que serviu como objeto de estudo. A área do assentamento é de indefinição fundiária e atualmente é ocupada por aproximadamente 900 famílias. O framework baseia-se na corrente do urbanismo de baixo impacto, sobretudo do Low Impact Urban Design and Devolopment (LIUDD). Os dispositivos são implantados na escala local, de forma descentralizada para a conservação e manejo das águas pluviais no meio urbano. A pesquisa está inserida no Projeto HIDROCIDADES, desenvolvido dentro dos princícpios da metodologia de pesquisa-ação proposta por Thiollent. Foi realizado trabalho de campo e entrevistas guiadas, tendo sido identificado um percentual expressivo de moradores descendentes de antigos pequenos produtores agrícolas. Na pesquisa, moradores elencaram os principais problemas do assentamento. Além disso, foram diagnosticadas potencialidades dos moradores, dentro do conceito de Tecnologia Social. A prospecção entre os moradores também procurou verificar, em um contexto de colaboração, o conhecimento e a aderência dos moradores às estruturas urbanísticas praticadas no contexto da corrente Desenho Urbano de Baixo Impacto. Ao final deste processo foi gerada proposta de reurbanização sustentável do assentamento estudado, bem como proposta de moradias coletivas sustentáveis. Guardando as devidas especificidades, espera-se que a proposta apresentada possa ser aplicada a outros assentamentos de paisagem similar. / This thesis, associated to HIDROCIDADES Project, is also part of the FINEP Maplu-2 network research. It presents a framework for the implementation of the urban redesign of informal settlements, in accordance with present day urban planning tendency that integrates water resources into urban planning, focusing on water conservation, environmental sustainability and environmental education. This framework is based on the principles of Low Impact Urban Design and Devolopment (LIUDD New Zealand), Low Impact Design (LID EUA), Water Sustainable Urban Design (WSUD- Australia) and Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS UK). The LIUDD puts forward the application of local and decentralized devices for urban drainage and superficial outflow, such as harvesting and profiting from rainwater, green roofs, park implantations and rainwater beds infiltration, adoption of permeable areas in the public sidewalks and roads, among others. The Community of Vila Cascatinha, situated in the lowland grounds of Jacarepaguá, in Rio de Janeiro, was adopted as a case study. In 2006 the Community had 900 inhabitants, who through field work and guided interviews were identified as descendants of small agricultural producers. Nowadays, the area, which is part of the expansion of the city, will be developed to locate important sports infrastructure for the 2016 Olympic Games, (therefore the relevance of this urban redesign proposal). During the interviews several problems were mentioned by the locals and among the most serious ones were the presence of rats and the occurrence of recurring floods. It was also possible to identify how familiar and sensitive the dwellers were to the some of the practices presented in the LIUDD context. The ultimate aim of the interviews was to elaborate an action plan, as described by Thiollent, for the sustainable urban redesign of the settlement under study, as well as a proposal for sustainable community dwellings, so as to minimize the effects of floods derived from the excessive waterproofed soil. Despite the specificities of the proposal, it is believed that it can be applied to other settlements in similar conditions.