Presentation: BRICS SUMMIT AND FRIENDSHIP CITIES LOCAL GOVERNMENT FORUM

By: Eric Appelgren Date 26-29 NOVEMBER 2013

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The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate

eThekwini Municipalities approach to creating inclusive urban spaces.

In addressing this forum, this presentation will respond to the City’s approach, challenges, look at a

case study, suggest some recommendations for consideration and look at areas of further learning

and collaboration

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Thematic Area: Creating Inclusive Urban Spaces Challenge : Social dimension: creating inclusive and

livable cities

• KEY QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE CITY STRATEGIES TO BETTER MANAGE INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF URBAN AREAS?

Provide a brief overview of your city’s strategies in this area. The INK Area best responds to the City’s strategies in this regard. To demonstrate this it is necessary to place this area in context.

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Northern Region – Ink Areas

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City’s Strategy

• The City understood that the area was spatially considered to be on the outskirts of the City;

• The City understood that it functioned as a fully fledged township; thriving and diverse in culture and heritage;

• The City understood that past planning prevented its integration….So how was the City going to reverse the above?

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Purpose

Planning

Resource mobilization Implementation

Evaluation

Line departments

INK ABM

deliver

Procure

Development Cycle

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Birth of the ABM

• ABM continues to facilitate the holistic development of sustainable human settlements that factors community empowerment through optimal use of local resources.

• The delivery instruments included consideration of the following legal instruments: a) National Housing Act 1997 b) City’s Long-Term Framework c) Integrated Development Plan and Spatial Development Framework d) Implementing the recommendations of INK Area Local Plan • More importantly, the City subscribed to a vigorous public participation process that

included internal and external stakeholders in order to ensure that the one Vision as contained in the IDP remained the key deliverable for the project.

• In that regard, the City subscribed to the use of local resources. This empowered the community and also allowed them to become owners of the project.

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STRATEGIES/INTERVENTIONS

• Facilitated and negotiated access and acquisition of land- legal tenure • Identification of beneficiaries • Inputted into feasibility studies and planning around social and

economic projects such as schools, community facilities, places of worship, places of care and support

• Advocated for use of community-based groups as data-collectors on socio-economic surveys alongside Municipal staff, University, Ward Committee member and community representative

• Advocated for different housing typologies through Architectural input to ensure that age categories were catered for; and thro design safer communities were established.

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STRATEGIES/INTERVENTIONS

• In all of its work, the ABM remained committed and reflected and monitored its work and the project to ensure its inclusion into the surrounding area, as well as ensuring that it was a self sustaining area; while still echoing its thriving and diverse environment.

• Close out reports, indicating completion of services, site allocation and transfer and involvement and inclusion of Municipal departments to provide post construction services to create a socially vital human settlement

• Consumer education for community building still continues today to ensure that the community remains updated and current

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STRATEGIES/INTERVENTIONS

• So did the City achieve its goal? • Yes- the area is better knitted into the urban area- economically, socially,

environmentally, Infra-structurally. • By virtue of its culture and heritage, it thrives, yet sustains its diversity;

respectfully. • The area has enhanced services- social and economic and contributes to the

GDP.

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Thematic Area: Creating Inclusive Urban Spaces Creating inclusive and livable cities

• Provide an overview of the approach by eThekwini Municipality to build more inclusive cities

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City’s Developmental Approach is underpinned by

the inclusivity principle

Projects

Vision

Values, challenges and choices

Strategic focus areas Programmes

8 Point Plan

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eThekwini Municipality’s Inclusive City Program and Approach

• The municipal response to Inclusivity is largely driven through the Municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP)

• The IDP is the strategic 5 year development plan that has its roots in the Long Term Development Framework

• The IDP covers the 4 key issues of inclusion namely: – Social Inclusion (Plan 3: Quality Living Environments) – Economic Inclusion (Plan2: Economic Development and

Job Creation) – Political Inclusion (Plan 7: Good Governance) – Cultural Inclusion ( Plan 6: Embracing our Cultural

Diversity)

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Economic Inclusion and Approach

• Developing Economic Inclusivity through: – Access to economic activities in the city – Promoting tourism and community based tourism projects – Providing opportunities for networking and expanding businesses – Using an expanded public works programme to create Jobs

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Inclusive Governance Approach

• “Political” inclusion by: – Decentralised management of the city ( Regional Centres and Regional

Offices) – Developing skills of the ward committee – Public participation at ward levels through ward mobilisers – Providing opportunities for the citizenry to participate in council process e.g.

Budget Hearings, IDP hearing and Performance Management

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Cultural inclusion Approach

• Cultural inclusion developing by: – Promoting and acknowledging a diverse range

of culture and heritage activities and events – Fostering development of cultural and heritage

through the promotion of tourism related projects

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Delivery of Social Facilities and Basic Service Approach

– Providing access to housing (Even though it is Provincial /National government mandate)

– Provision of descent basic services, access to social amenities and opportunities for all citizens

– Provision of a effective public transport system – Accessing health and educational opportunities – Developing skills level of both the employees and citizens – Facilitating a learning environment, through establishing a Municipal

Institute of Learning (MILE) – Thinking about how we can actively engage children by making our city more

CHILD-FRIENDLY (soon to embark on a UNICEF project) – Provision of interim services to informal settlement

• Water, sanitation, electricity, refuse removal, fire and emergency service, footpaths and access etc.

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Thematic Area: Creating Inclusive Urban Spaces Creating inclusive and livable cities

– Upgrade informal settlements in-situ (<10% of settlements require complete relocation)

– Relocation only when necessary, eg: floodplains, unstable slopes, environmentally sensitive areas, etc.

– Identification of Re-structuring Zones for promotion of: • Affordable housing (rent or own) • Mixed income and mixed use areas • Provision of Public facilities:

– Clinics, Community Halls, Recreational facilities, etc. • SMEE initiatives and economic investment nodes

– Community participation via: • Ward Committees, • Development Committees, and • CBOs

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Thematic Area: Creating Inclusive Urban Spaces Creating inclusive and livable cities

• In an inclusive city citizens take an active part in the decision making that affect their daily lives, and are the cornerstone of city-making

• Our developmental local government mandate is premised on being inclusive, democratic and empowering sphere of government that continually creates opportunities for its citizenry.

• More specifically, our role is to ensure that we: – promote access to decent housing and basic services – create an interconnected transportation infrastructure & allows access to effective public

transport – facilitate access to communication technology and forums for communication – expand and maintains economic infrastructure thereby increasing employment opportunities – supports the expression of culture and religion – enables all residents to develop and achieve their full potential

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Challenges Experienced

• Unabated growth of informal settlements attracted by the provision of services. Will become a major problem when relocations are required.

• Weak legislation to curb land invasions or growth of existing settlements.

• Difficult to provide secure interim tenure if land is in private ownership. • EIA & planning approvals will delay speedy implementation. • No funding for densification if the objective is to locate people in well

located areas. • No funding for Metro servicing standards – but now from USDG

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Thematic Area: Creating Inclusive Urban Spaces Creating inclusive and livable cities

eThekwini: Key challenges: • High Land Prices for well located, developable land • Competing land uses, e.g.: economic, environmental, servitudes, higher income residential • Scale of the backlog (>400 000 families)

– time to meet needs at current funding and delivery > 40years – Continued urbanization puts pressure of the city and its resources – High expectations

• Low incomes and high unemployment (>40%) • Inherited spatial form and limited social integration • Resistance (NIMBY) by adjacent (higher income) suburbs • Inadequate funding to implement higher densities • Availability of Bulk Services

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What can be done better?

• Detailed socio-economic studies within informal settlements to determine true demand – avoid “one size fits all” scenario and develop appropriate products for the identified housing markets.

• Augment and complement upgrade & interim services projects with participative, sustainable livelihoods processes

• Build ‘social capital’, ‘self help’ & resilience • Decrease dependency and vulnerability • Foster more functional ‘two-way’ relationship between Municipality and community (not

just about basic service delivery – community has a role to play) • LED initiatives • Densification – housing typology shift • Urban design principles • Integration - basic infrastructure, education, health care, public transport, enterprise,

special needs, urban agric, local spatial plans etc)

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Brief Case study : The Cato Manor Experience

• Developmental Context • Identified in the early 1990’s • Dawn of a new era in South Africa • Cato Manor identified as:

– Prime metropolitan restructuring opportunity – Pilot model of post-apartheid sustainable urban development

practice

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Brief Case study : The Cato Manor Experience

• Mass land invasions (1993 – 1995) • Emergence of informal settlements (+/- 35 000 people) • +/- 50% displaced by violence

– Assets lost – Trauma – Disintegration of social networks

• 66% younger than 26 • 12 % with high school education or more • 38% unemployed • 60% formal employment (60% labourer / domestic) • 80% household income <R1500pm

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Developmental Strategy

Cato Manor

Building Communities

Preserving Biodiversity

Regional Integration

Sustaining Communities

Maintenance and support

Engineering Infrastructure

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Engineering Infrastructure

• Housing programme • Electrification • Waterborne sewerage • Sports facilities • Roads and storm water network • Schools and ECD centres • Libraries • Multi purpose community centres • Clinics

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Brief Case study : The Cato Manor Experience: Building

Communities • Health and wellness programmes • Crime prevention and mitigation • Youth development centre • Sports development programmes • Arts, culture and heritage preservation and development • Life-skills programmes • Neighbourhood development • Community parks and play-lots • Supporting vulnerable groups (women, the young and the aged)

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Brief Case study : The Cato Manor Experience: Sustaining Communities

• Local economic development (LED) • Business support programme • Skills development programmes • Livelihood preservation • Business incubation and mentorship • Business parks and commercial land

release programme 28

Brief Case study : The Cato Manor Experience; Preserving Biodiversity

• Grasslands preservation • Dwarf chameleons • Black Butterfly habitat • River and stream rehabilitation and

maintenance • Urban Reforestation • Waste management

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Brief Case study : The Cato Manor Experience: Regional Integration

• Transport network • City events • Tourist route and products • Labour market integration • Partnership building

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Brief Case study : The Cato Manor Experience; Maintenance and Support

• Maintenance of social facilities • Roads upgrade • Business Premises development • ECD management programme

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Recommendations

Recommendations: Cities to national: Policies, instruments and levers that national governments could consider to better support the city’s role in urban development and city management.

• Provide sufficient funding to promote higher density living environments

• National (and international) study on rental and ownership tenure options for higher density living environments

• Improved intergovernmental co-operation • Decentralization (Assignment) of the Human Settlements

function • Review of the current Housing Policy

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Areas for Collaboration

Possible areas for collaboration with other BRICS cities. • Promotion of more inclusive cities via provision of public

facilities and social interventions • Alternative building technologies • Green buildings • Management of mixed land use • Establishment and working of special economic zones and

complementary land uses • Testing and understanding the issue of reliance on the State

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Concluding Comments

• We acknowledge that whilst we have come a long way in building an inclusive city, we agree that we still have a long way to go

• In our city, there have been some voices from civil society that have expressed their anger and disappointment at our municipality

• We have encouraged these voices of protests, and allowed them to express themselves, for we believe that this too is part of being an inclusive city

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