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 research is about the life and material conditions of existence of Xhosa people living in three informal settlements of East London (now part of Buffalo City) in South Africa. Most observers see such unplanned settlements as a radical shift away from the groups' traditional rural homestead, some describing them as "neo-vernacular" since---like the vernacular dwelling---these are built from the materials coming from the surrounding environment. The research went beyond this perception and rather proposed that despite changes in the building forms, materials and techniques, the informal Xhosa urban settlements are still---consciously or not---governed by Xhosa traditional rules. / To demonstrate this hypothesis, the study attempted to understand the culture of the group through the review of the literature dealing with the Xhosa life and customs in the group's traditional rural setting. Then, it established the evolutionary process of the Xhosa architecture, which was also (re)integrated not only in the history of South African architecture but also in the whole architecture history's continuum. Next, followed the description of the elements that have been found in the three informal settlements as well as in the dwellings and plots that have been selected for the case study. Finally, from the comparison between the elements found in the three squatter settlements selected and the traditional Xhosa setting it is concluded that the traditional Xhosa culture has survived in the three informal settlements of East London. Its persistence has been confirmed in the rituals and everyday activities, the objects, spaces and buildings created, as well as in the way they are constructed, used or lived in.

Drawing on the manuscript records of the Department of Crown Lands, its published reports, and case law, this thesis examines the illegal occupation of rural land, known as squatting in the Eastern Townships of Quebec in the period 1838 to 1866. By 1838, demographic pressure in the seigneuries, inflated land prices due to speculation, and inaccessible public land granting practices had made squatting a commonplace strategy for land acquisition. The responses to squatting of the Department of Crown Lands, the Legislature and the judiciary are analysed for what they implied about ideas of property in Lower Canada. / While the Department of Crown Lands' policy of pre-emption affirmed that squatters held rights to public land because they laboured to cultivate and improve it, the legislature refused to acknowledge that squatters could acquire such rights on private land; nine out of ten bills intended to ensure ejected squatters a systematically determined remuneration for improvements made by them on the private property of absentees failed to pass into law during the period. Most were rejected by the Legislative Council which defended the interests of landed wealth. / Lower Canadian courts, meanwhile, struggled to sort out laws relating to squatting. Ultimately they found that while squatters on private property owned their improvements, they had no right to the land itself. Thus the judiciary applied a bifurcated concept of property to rural land in Lower Canada despite the prevalence of liberal theories of absolute property rights during the nineteenth century.

No description available.

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.

Until recently it was fashionable to describe Durban as one of the fastest growing cities in the world. For those who held this view, the proliferation of informal settlements in and around the city pointed to massive rural-urban in-migration from the rural areas. Migration, itself, it was conceived, was typically the outcome of a direct move from the rural areas, whereby the migrant simply arrived in the city and took to squatting on any available land he or she could find. In actuality, while research has pointed out that substantial rural-urban in-migration is indeed a feature of the urban landscape, little light has been shed on the extent and nature of such migration. The aim of this dissertation is therefore to elucidate on these two features of the migration phenomenon. Through the application of the Todaro model of migration it is hoped that an understanding of the driving force behind migration to and within the Durban Functional Region could also be achieved. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1994.

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.

The main objective of this study was to investigate the application of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) human health risk assessment framework for quantifying the adverse human health effects of exposure to inhaled kerosene pollutants in the South African context. The study was based in the informal settlement of Cato Crest in Cato Manor, Durban. This dissertation includes a theoretical review of the environment/health Relationship, the US EPA health risk assessment approach, it's history, and the health effects of kerosene combustion products. Chapter three outlines the methodology for the study, detailing how time-activity pattern data and air quality results were collected from the community of Cato Crest. Chapter four presents the results of the health risk assessments conducted for nitrogen dioxide, benzene and toluene exposure - using both local and US EPA exposure values in the health risk assessments. A critical evaluation of the US EPA human health risk assessment framework in the South African context is provided in chapter five. The results of the study revealed that a 1-hour exposure to the nitrogen dioxide concentrations measured in Cato Crest would not present any adverse health effects. A 24-hour exposure to NO2 using US EPA default exposure values provided a slight possibility of adverse health effects being experienced in sensitive individuals in some houses. 24-Hour exposure to NO2 using local exposure values could result in both sensitive individuals and even some healthy individuals experiencing adverse health effects in all houses. Potential adverse health effects include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, broncho-constriction and increased airway resistance. Sensitive individuals include those with asthma or other respiratory diseases. Exposure to 24hour benzene concentrations (using US EPA default exposure values) is not likely to result in individuals experiencing adverse health effects. Exposure to the same benzene concentrations at local exposure times will cause potential adverse health effects in sensitive individuals. Sensitive individuals are those with respiratory ailments and blood diseases or disorders. Exposure to monitored toluene concentrations over a 24-hour period (using both US EPA default exposure values and local exposure values) is unlikely to result in adverse health effects being experienced by any individuals. The US EPA human health risk assessment framework is seen as applicable to South Africa where developed areas are concerned (as these areas are quite similar to North American populations). In areas of South Africa that are considered less developed or undeveloped, local conditions need to be substituted into health risk assessments where possible. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

Cities across the globe are characterised by inequality. Within South African cities the marginalised population has unequal access to certain resources and opportunities, one such resource that the research is centred upon is the access and occupation of land. Many South African formal residential neighbourhoods are characterised by their proximity to informal settlements. This is largely due to the fact that local government has not adequately addressed the issue of occupation and land; this is clearly evident in Clare Estate in which the study was undertaken. The thesis refers to literature that is critical of the notion of the ‘divided city’ concept and draws on other concepts such as justice, social inequalities, politics of space, sense of place and NIMBY to name but a few. The research adopted a quantitative and qualitative approach, where questionnaires and indepth interviews with relevant stakeholders structured the basis of the research, respectively. This thesis investigated the experiences and understandings of formal residents of Clare Estate, in regard to the informal settlement which is encroaching on their neighbourhood boundary. The majority of the formal residents were not satisfied with the presence of the informal settlers and requested the relocation of the informal settlements to another location. The thesis shows how the informal settlers have been stereotyped with negative images and therefore the formal community has socially excluded them. Furthermore, most formal residents interviewed emphasised that the presence of the informal settlements only attracted negative consequences, such as the increase in criminal activity, the hampering of social activities and the reduction of property values. In addition, this thesis reveals that there existed a strained relationship between the formal and informal communities in Clare Estate. It was also evident that the formal residents have attached a personal meaning to their residential area. This sense of place was seen to be threatened by the informal settlement in their neighbourhood. However, it should be stated that the local government authorities were re-addressing the issue of the encroachment of the informal settlement and there have been some attempts to relocate these settlements. Where the relocation initiative has not been successful, the government provided better building materials to the informal community to improve their housing situation in Clare Estate. However, this latter initiative was not accepted by the residents in formal housing who want the informal community ‘out’ of their residential area. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

This study examines the case for in-situ upgrading of informal settlements. The housing delivery process as set out in the housing policy has been slow and, to an extent, qualification for subsidy has tended to exclude some sections of the society. The main objective of the study is to identify the social, economic and physical characteristics of informal settlements that would justify in-situ upgrading as opposed to relocation of the residents to a Greenfield development. Both primary and secondary sources of data were utilised in data collection. The research confirmed residents of Barcelona 1 need proper houses with basic services. The general use of land; is also problematic, there are no roads and the residents walk in between shacks to access their sites. Living conditions in Barcelona 1 do not match up with what is proposed in the recent Breaking New Ground (BNG) policy initiative, which states that everyone should have access to sustainable human settlement conditions with basic services such as water, electricity and sanitation. Community Based Organizations (CBOs) focus on assisting the community with socio-economic activities, and have contributed in the development of the settlement by providing training skills workshops on small business and issues concerning HIV/AIDS. The present study sees a need for the settlement to be upgraded on site, in preference to other options less favourable to people’s needs, such as greenfield development which disrupts social and economic networks when people are relocated far from their workplaces and burdened with added transportation costs. By comparison, in-situ upgrading will create minimal disruption for the inhabitants of the settlement. Among the recommendation put forward is that the government, the housing department, non-government organisation and community based organisations should all intervene in the upgrading of informal settlements. The study concludes with none of the development promised by the government having yet taken place in the study area, any forthcoming housing policy implementation should take account of the impact of different development option on informal settlements. It can be argued that government and the housing department alike have failed to satisfy housing demand in South Africa, since people continue to suffer from inadequate housing. Secondly, in-situ upgrading rather than relocation to Greenfield where feasible should be the preferred from development option given the social, economic benefits and networks of existing informal settlements. / Thesis (M.Housing)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.