Making great places in slums/ informal settlements
- Mpe, Reabetsoe, Ogra, Aurobindo
- Authors: Mpe, Reabetsoe , Ogra, Aurobindo
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Slums , Informal settlements , Community development , Place making , Human settlements , Urban transformation
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:4925 , ISSN 978-0-86970-781-4 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13025
- Description: According to UN-Habitat (2007) “a slum is a heavily populated urban informal settlement characterized by substandard housing and squalor”. The word slum is generally used to describe low-income settlements with deprived conditions. (UN-Habitat, 2006). There is no universally agreed definition of the word slum. As conditions differ from country to country, different scholars from various countries define the term “slum” differently. Definitions mainly include: illegal, poorly-constructed settlements without basic services, even when some of them are relatively more different and have proper structures? An informal settlement can be defined as stated by Huchzermeyer and Karam (2006) as those settlements that were not planned by nor have formal permission to exist from government. Srinivas (1991) defines informal settlement/ slums as an area where the urban poor resides and usually have no access to tenure rights and are forced to ‘squat’ on vacant land either private or public. While slums/ informal settlements differ in size and other characteristics in different counties, but what most slums/informal settlements share in common are the lack of reliable basic services such as the supply of clean water, electricity, timely law enforcement and proper services. (UN-Habitat 2007). Place making is a described as an approach that is used to inspire and encourage communities to create their own space/ places. Place making is how we collectively shape our public realm to maximize shared value (Project for public spaces, 2009). The focus on place making was intended to remind planners of the human aspect of city-building and the ultimate goal is to create places that people use, that inspire social interaction and promote community stewardship (Urban Strategy Inc., 2008). This paper highlights critical determinants of place making in slums/informal settlements. In the context of slums/ informal settlements, firstly it covers what great places are and what constitutes as a great place. Secondly it covers the characteristics of a great place/ place making and how we can upgrade slums/ informal settlements in to great places. Lastly what is the perception of communities of great places and what they think is needed to make their settlement a “great place”. The paper is based on a research study of Kaya Sands slums/ informal settlements of Midrand, South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mpe, Reabetsoe , Ogra, Aurobindo
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Slums , Informal settlements , Community development , Place making , Human settlements , Urban transformation
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:4925 , ISSN 978-0-86970-781-4 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13025
- Description: According to UN-Habitat (2007) “a slum is a heavily populated urban informal settlement characterized by substandard housing and squalor”. The word slum is generally used to describe low-income settlements with deprived conditions. (UN-Habitat, 2006). There is no universally agreed definition of the word slum. As conditions differ from country to country, different scholars from various countries define the term “slum” differently. Definitions mainly include: illegal, poorly-constructed settlements without basic services, even when some of them are relatively more different and have proper structures? An informal settlement can be defined as stated by Huchzermeyer and Karam (2006) as those settlements that were not planned by nor have formal permission to exist from government. Srinivas (1991) defines informal settlement/ slums as an area where the urban poor resides and usually have no access to tenure rights and are forced to ‘squat’ on vacant land either private or public. While slums/ informal settlements differ in size and other characteristics in different counties, but what most slums/informal settlements share in common are the lack of reliable basic services such as the supply of clean water, electricity, timely law enforcement and proper services. (UN-Habitat 2007). Place making is a described as an approach that is used to inspire and encourage communities to create their own space/ places. Place making is how we collectively shape our public realm to maximize shared value (Project for public spaces, 2009). The focus on place making was intended to remind planners of the human aspect of city-building and the ultimate goal is to create places that people use, that inspire social interaction and promote community stewardship (Urban Strategy Inc., 2008). This paper highlights critical determinants of place making in slums/informal settlements. In the context of slums/ informal settlements, firstly it covers what great places are and what constitutes as a great place. Secondly it covers the characteristics of a great place/ place making and how we can upgrade slums/ informal settlements in to great places. Lastly what is the perception of communities of great places and what they think is needed to make their settlement a “great place”. The paper is based on a research study of Kaya Sands slums/ informal settlements of Midrand, South Africa.
- Full Text:
Place making in tourism-led local economic development (LED) : a case study of Coffee Bay, Wild Coast, Eastern Cape province, South Africa
- Sitinga, Sinovuyo Babalwa, Ogra, Aurobindo
- Authors: Sitinga, Sinovuyo Babalwa , Ogra, Aurobindo
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Coastal Tourism , Community development , Community engagement , Sustainable development , Tourism - South Africa - Coffee Bay , Local Economic Development
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:4938 , ISSN 978-0-86970-781-4 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13038
- Description: On the East Coast of South Africa, on the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, lie the shores of Coffee Bay town. This small predominantly rural beach town beams with multitude of tourism potential. The town prides itself for its magnificent beach, hotels, and tourism activities like: horse riding, hiking and boasts of other tourism facilities and attractions. Besides tourism potential this small town faces number of challenges. The majority of the town’s economically active population is illiterate, unemployed and lives under the poverty line. The town on its own is a pot of gold; however, the community needs to be more involved in the decision making for developments within the town, as well as encouraging of pride of citizenship. This would ensure maximum benefit for residents, in terms of economic growth, access to opportunities, betterment of livelihoods, etc. In the pursuit of Tourism-led Local Economic Development (LED) oriented growth in Coffee Bay, the place making determinants becomes central in order to address the number of challenges faced by the local communities. Place making determinants and processes applicable to the area entails optimal use of resources that are unique to an area, for the economic (increased investment in the area, rise in tourists coming in, improved environments for fishing, establishment of a fully functional and beneficial fishing industry), social (improved well-being of local residents), community (infrastructure and livelihood within the town) and otherwise benefits. The paper discusses the place based tourism-led approaches in the context of rural communities and highlights the key determinants of place making process in a rural centric tourism-led local economic development. The research is based on mixed method approach (qualitative and quantitative) and brings out the discussion on: essence, self-sufficiency, sustainability and inclusion of communities based on locally available assets, potential and resources.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Sitinga, Sinovuyo Babalwa , Ogra, Aurobindo
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Coastal Tourism , Community development , Community engagement , Sustainable development , Tourism - South Africa - Coffee Bay , Local Economic Development
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:4938 , ISSN 978-0-86970-781-4 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13038
- Description: On the East Coast of South Africa, on the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, lie the shores of Coffee Bay town. This small predominantly rural beach town beams with multitude of tourism potential. The town prides itself for its magnificent beach, hotels, and tourism activities like: horse riding, hiking and boasts of other tourism facilities and attractions. Besides tourism potential this small town faces number of challenges. The majority of the town’s economically active population is illiterate, unemployed and lives under the poverty line. The town on its own is a pot of gold; however, the community needs to be more involved in the decision making for developments within the town, as well as encouraging of pride of citizenship. This would ensure maximum benefit for residents, in terms of economic growth, access to opportunities, betterment of livelihoods, etc. In the pursuit of Tourism-led Local Economic Development (LED) oriented growth in Coffee Bay, the place making determinants becomes central in order to address the number of challenges faced by the local communities. Place making determinants and processes applicable to the area entails optimal use of resources that are unique to an area, for the economic (increased investment in the area, rise in tourists coming in, improved environments for fishing, establishment of a fully functional and beneficial fishing industry), social (improved well-being of local residents), community (infrastructure and livelihood within the town) and otherwise benefits. The paper discusses the place based tourism-led approaches in the context of rural communities and highlights the key determinants of place making process in a rural centric tourism-led local economic development. The research is based on mixed method approach (qualitative and quantitative) and brings out the discussion on: essence, self-sufficiency, sustainability and inclusion of communities based on locally available assets, potential and resources.
- Full Text:
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