This thesis recognises that quantitative research distances the researcher from the people who form part and parcel of squatter settlements. Therefore, in the course of analysing whether upgrading is a realistic option for the Ntchaweni squatter settlement, this qualitative study has not concerned itself with the activities of the inhabitants alone, or only with the buildings which house squatters, but investigates those units of experience within which physical form, activities and the degree of attachment that squatters have for the settlement of Ntchaweni are amalgamated to form place. A contention of this thesis if we are to plan successfully for squatter areas, it is necessary to understand that squatters have the potential to think and plan ahead for themselves. Squatter settlements are not necessarily the domain of criminals and unemployed people. The Ntchaweni squatter settlement is a complex place in which the inhabitants exhibit a strong attachment to the place.This validates the methodological emphasis on a people-place study of the squatter settlement, as does the acknowledged importance of community participation in upgrading schemes. In contrast, the "top-down" re-organising of squatter settlements into idealistic settlements conforming rigidly to some grand theory developed by technocrats cannot possibly help to alleviate the severe physical and social problems experienced in squatter areas. It is therefore necessary to arrive at a realistic option for the improvement of the Ntchaweni squatter settlement by analysing what the squatters perceive to be a suitable living environment. Any upgrading option for the Ntchaweni squatter settlement must also take into account the system which perpetrated the poor conditions evident in the study area. Within this context, the areal expansion of the Ntchaweni squatter settlement into its present size qualifies the notion that this place has an important function from a social, cultural and economic perspective. The historical development and the present political situation in the study area are both important considerations in a study which aims at investigating the betterment options for the area, be it site and service schemes or in situ upgrading. In order to gain a better understanding of squatter settlements, we must record both objective and subjective aspects of place. Together, these investigations put us into a position to discuss the possibilities for generating realistic options for designing and producing places suitable for human habitation in Ntchaweni. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1992.

Over the past decade the construction of shacks on fonnally developed residential sites within the predominantly african residential townships of South Africa have been increasing in number. These infonnal structures have become commonly known as backyard shacks and have been constructed, mainly by the urban poor, in response, inter-alia, to the restrictions and difficulties placed upon them by the policies of the past government, in respect to access to land and housing. Research on this housing option is limited and has unfortunately either concentrated on quantifying the extent of the development or has been overshadowed by investigation and debate on other methods of infonnal housing. Therefore this dissertation sets about, by reason of research in Umlazi (one of the largest, predominantly african townships within South Africa), to contextualise, identify and place firmly on the agenda, the issues and needs of the backyard shack residents. In support thereof, a review of the spatial development of backyard shacks over the past decade in Umlazi, is also provided. From this study it has then been possible to fonnulate recommendations for housing policy and town planning so as to address these issues and needs. With specific reference, as this dissertation recognises the extent of the housing crisis and the role that backyard shacks play in providing shelter for the urban poor within the urban centres of the country and hence the likely pennanency of this housing option; recommendations, including the densification of the urban centres as a means of providing land for housing, the fonnalisation of the backyard shack as a secondary dwelling unit, the re-defming of subsidies in relation thereto and the delivery of services, are put forward. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1996.

One of the most controversial and dramatic features of recent city development is the phenomenon of access to land through informal means, which is a reflection of the lack of alternative delivery systems. Constraints on the supply of land for housing the urban poor have resulted in a large housing backlog, reSUlting in overcrowding, the emergence of unplanned housing such as backyard shacks and free standing informal settlements. In South Africa, the majority of the popUlation who have been historically constrained by racist and restrictive land allocation processes found it difficult to access well located and affordable serviced land. These constraints have resulted in poor people obtaining access to land through informal delivery systems. This effective exclusion of the urban poor from the formal land market has resulted in the emergence of the informal systems of land delivery, such as land invasions etc. Both internationally and in South Africa, informal settlements and squatting have represented a way of addressing and challenging market relations and state regUlation and thus, allow for poorer people to move into better located areas. The existing informal settlement within the Cato Manor area (Cato Crest) can be regarded as an example of this kind of urban process. The purpose of this dissertation is to assess the performance of the informal delivery systems in Cato Crest, to establish whether these systems have reached the urban poor and to look for ways of dealing with informal land mechanisms in the future. The findings from the survey indicated that in Cato Crest these illegal land supply systems have benefitted poor people in terms of job opportunities, proximity to the city and location. A number of recommendations can be made in this regard: that there is a need for a land policy on informal land supply systems, that which should seek to make strategically located land available for low income housing in the future. If this is not accomplished, illegal land occupation will continue unabated until no land will be available for low income housing. / Thesis (M.Sc.U.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1995.

This study is concerned with the manner in which households create strategies to mitigate environmental risks in informal settlements for example Lacey Road which is located in Sydenham in the eThekwini metropolitan area of KwaZulu‐Natal. Informal settlements result from migration and urbanisation trends whereby people from rural areas migrate to the city in search of job opportunities and a better life. Many fail to find the formal employment opportunities they seek and find themselves having to provide their own shelter. These circumstances culminate in the construction of informal settlements in and near the city. People settle on land that is often undesirable for development because of geological or environmental pressures e.g. it has unstable soils, the land is located within flood plains or on very steep slopes. The vulnerability approach and political ecology framework underpin this study. These two approaches have been used in order to understand the capabilities of informal settlers to cope with risks they are faced with. They have been also used to understand how human activities and political systems may be linked to the spread of environmental degradation and risks. Household survey and key informants interviews were used to conduct this study. The findings of the research show that Lacey Road informal settlement is exposed to various risks such as floods, fire, waste disposal, and indoor air pollution and other health risks. It is clear that residents from Lacey Road are regularly exposed to the harsh realities of spatial and environmental marginalisation. The main reason for their vulnerability is the lack of service delivery by the municipality. This is due to a unique set of power relations where the community does not have profile to force the municipality to provide access to basic services. It is within this context that the researcher sought to analyse and explore the interface between environmental risk management and coping strategies of residents within informal settlements. Whilst there are general risks that face all residents of informal settlements, the researcher also considered what is specific to the Lacey Road settlement in Sydenham. The intention of this research is to identify environmental risks being experienced in Lacey Road informal settlements. Furthermore, to understand household strategies employed to mitigate those environmental risks at Lacey Road. / Thesis (M.Sc.U.R.P.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

The reported percentage of births attributable to school going learners has highlighted the concern for adolescents engaging in early and unsafe sexual practices. A review of literature suggests that early sexual initiation and the likelihood of experiencing teenage pregnancy can impede on adolescents' ability to acquire skills, attain high levels of education, and access socioeconomic opportunities. Relatively less attention has been paid to the reproductive patterns and sexual behaviour of adolescents within informal settlements. This research, conducted in Siyanda informal settlement on the outskirts of KwaMashu Township, is designed to explore the sexual patterns and reproductive behaviour of the adolescents there. The study examines differences in sexual behaviour and childbearing experiences among teen mothers, currently pregnant teens; and those that have never experienced pregnancy. The findings suggest that the majority of adolescents residing in informal settlements experiment with and engage in sexual intercourse at ages much earlier than 19. Most teenagers experienced their first sexual intercourse by the second year of high school education. Teen mothers reported higher incidence of multiple sexual partners. Across all adolescents interviewed, the preferred sexual partners were much older males because of level of maturity, financial status; and the ability to negotiate use of contraceptives. Part of the cause of high incidents of teenage pregnancy within this environment was the lack of consistent usage of contraceptives. Many adolescents perceived usage of contraceptives to be impractical prior to conception of first birth. The experience of childbearing was found to have detrimental implications on these young females‟ educational attainment. Many of these adolescent failed to resume school to complete their education due to the lack of emotional and financial support from their partners and family members. Many adolescents highlighted their discontent with the lack of youth integration with the lack of youth integration in community based programmes. Furthermore, communication barriers in nearby health facilities as well as transport restricted their accessibility to obtain counselling with regards to their sexual activities and reproductive patterns. Thus, it is recommended that service delivery should be improved, including providing more health facilities especially the range of methods through which health officials such as nurses, social workers and counsellors which can be made easily accessible to these adolescents on a regular basis. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

This dissertation examines the various forms of informal settlements in evidence in the Greater Edendale Area, and extracts the design criteria for the development of an appropriatc land records system to manage these informal settlements and their upgrading processes. It is shown that the various setllement patterns in existence ill the Greater Edcndale Area (GEA) reflect the apartheid history of South Africa and the policies of the previous governments. All exhibit certain aspects of informality, and therefore exist at various points on a continuum of formality-informality. Certain settlement patterns, such as the properties within formal townships developed by the former Department of Development Aid, possess many formal aspects and relatively fewer informalities, whereas others, for example the conventional informal settlements on State owned land, are informal in almost every respect. It is shown that the government's policies require informal aspects of settlements relating to land tenure and services should be upgraded, and that the responsibility for such upgrading has been delegated to the local government level. I will show that this upgrading of informal settlements can be broken down into four major processes which make up the overall upgrading process. These are land delivery, land tenure reform, provision of services, and cost recovery. It is argued that to effectivcly deal with these upgrading responsibilities, the local government structure. in this case the Pietermaritzburg-Msunduzi Transitional Local Council , should develop and maintain a land records system at the local level, with community participation to ensure sustainability. The design requirements for such a system are identified throughout the chapters, and are drawn together in the final chapter as a set of design criteria for the land records system. These design criteria call be represented by five main themes: firstly, that the land records system should be based on the design of the multipurpose cadastre; secondly, that in addition, it should accommodate non- parcel-based tenures; thirdly, that it should incorporate temporal GIS technology; fourthly, that it should be easily accessible to the community; and finally, that it should incorporate the users' needs and should be extremely user-friendly. / Thesis (M.Sc.Sur)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

Abstract not available. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1998.

The report identifies a case study in which there was competition for land between conservation and low income settlement users. The nature of these potentially conflicting interests were identified and an evaluation of how these were played out followed. The fact that the interest of the low income settlement users carried the background of apartheid based discriminations, made the situation a sensitive one. Moreover, it was a unique case whereby the needs of a community's rural lifestyle were to be met in an urban environment. The planning process had political overtones which directed the decision-making process and consequential planning. The study informs development and planning, that in post-apartheid planning, there is the need to incorporate social reconstruction within urban and rural reconstruction. In planning and development processes, planning should play a fundamental role of providing input to guide the process. The input provided by planning should be cross-sectional in the context of conflicting interests, in order for the final plan to represent a compromise, serving the better interests of all the interested parties. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1996.

This dissertation investigates how the upgrading of informal settlements impacts home-based enterprises (HBEs). De Soto’s ‘Mystery of Capital Theory’ suggests that the formalisation of tenure rights, through informal settlement upgrading, can result in poor households gaining access to capital using their houses as collateral against loans. Furthermore, these households can then use this capital to finance the operations of their HBEs. Rust’s conceptualisation of the ‘Housing Asset Triangle’ explains the importance of HBEs in the lives informal settlement households as an economic asset. Thus, the lack of support for HBEs in the implementation of informal settlement upgrading, by municipal officials, impacts negatively on HBEs, and demonstrates Huntington’s ‘Clash of Civilisations’ Theory. Huntington states that when state officials implement informal settlement upgrading, disagreements arise between the officials and the beneficiaries of upgrading, in terms of the objectives and the results of upgrading, stemming mainly from the fact that the state officials and the beneficiaries belong to different civilisations. The researcher uses Cato Crest located in eThekwini Municipality as the case study area, where interviews were conducted with the municipal housing officials that implemented the in-situ upgrade in Cato Crest, using the Informal Settlement Upgrading Programme (ISUP) of the Breaking New Ground (BNG): Housing Policy. Household surveys were also conducted with the Cato Crest households that operated HBEs in the upgraded settlement, who had also done so in the informal settlement prior to the upgrade. The researcher found that HBEs in Cato Crest informal settlements are heavily dependent foot paths, for customers, used by people walking through the settlement. However, the upgraded settlement has lower housing densities than the informal settlement and the foot paths are replaced by road-side pavements. Only the businesses trading from containers located on the road-side survive, as customers using the roads and pavements stop easily to purchase goods. As a result, HBEs suffer and are unable to attract customers anymore and re-establishing HBEs in the upgraded settlement becomes a useless task as only businesses trading from the roadside are successful in the Cato Crest upgraded settlement. Trading from the road-side requires moving the HBE out of the house and into a road-side container, where the latter needs to be purchased by the household in order to take advantage of customers using the roads and pavements. This process proved to be too expensive for poor households operating HBEs in Cato Crest. HBEs are an important income generation strategy for Cato Crest households, and the upgrading of their informal settlement creates a better living environment for these households. However, the inability to continue generating an income using the house in the upgraded settlement creates a harsh environment for households that depend on HBEs for survival. Based on the findings of this study, the recommendations for the future implementation of informal settlement upgrading are that there is a need for a more collaborative effort between municipal housing officials, the Business Support Unit of the eThekwini Municipality, the Local Economic Development Offices, as well as households operating HBEs. More research of the phenomenon of HBEs in informal settlements of any particular area to be upgraded should be conducted. Thereafter, the implementation of HBE accommodating and fitting upgrading plans to each settlement, needs to be carried out by the upgrading officials, so that the upgraded settlement does not only give people access to housing and infrastructure, but creates an environment where they can continue using their houses for income generation in the upgraded settlement. / Thesis (M.Housing)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

In any country where there are informal settlements, crime prevention and combat is, to a great extent, determined by the availability of reliable information about crime and about the physical environment in which it occurs. Of equal importance in reducing crime is accurate reporting on the behalf of the public and accurate mapping of crime incidences on the part of the police. Informality makes such information gathering, reporting and mapping extremely challenging. Street level geocoding match rates are lower in informal settlements areas compared to formal urban areas, due to the fact that these areas are unplanned without any road networks or proper address points. To determine the success or otherwise of measures taken to control crime in informal settlements, it is necessary for a system to be in operation whereby crime can be geocoded to a specific location. The integration of community local knowledge with Geographic Information Systems can help populate urban-based geospatial databases for informal settlement crime mapping, and a mental mapping exercise can contribute by the identification of landmarks which can be geocoded. The aim of this research was to establish how community understandings and constructions of their local geography can contribute to ‘official’ police crime mapping and, consequently, to the improvement of policing in informal settlements. In order to achieve this research objective, community ‘mind maps’ were explored through focus groups and these were correlated with police geocoding and mapping systems. The aim here was to explore whether and how these systems can work together in dealing more effectively with crime and in enhancing police-community relations in informal settlement areas. A key finding of this research was that, coming together or integration between community generated mapping information and conventional GIS methodologies, has the potential to completely transform the way in which informal settlements crimes are mapped. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.