The myths and the realities of Shack Upgrading

Conclusion

In this paper a number of commonly held misconceptions about the informal settlements problem have been identified. It is contended that these misconceptions have contributed to the lack of action, or ineffective action, that is apparent with regard to this problem. It is hoped that attitudinal changes, as suggested in this report, will result in more practical approaches being adopted by all those concerned with improving the living conditions of people presently housed in the informal settlements. Experience in the field as discussed in this paper leads to the following recommendations:

• a. A great deal more research needs to be done with respect to the communication process between the suppliers of housing and the users. This is particularly true in instances where shack dwellers on the urban fringe are being drawn into the urbanisation process.

• b. Those directly involved in the planning and upgrading of shack areas need to develop new techniques for the establishment of townships that take cognisance of the situation on the ground-particularly the fact that the land is usually occupied and a social structure exists that has to be incorporated into the planning.

• c. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on the legitimisation of the land as part of the upgrading process.

• d. Ways and means of bringing about attitudinal changes on the part of all those involved in the housing process and the general public need to be developed. This would include discouraging the use of demotivating, negative terms such as squatter, septic fringe and so forth.

• e. The question of ‘hidden agendas’ needs to be addressed. Any upgrading project should seek to identify these and to lay them on the table as a first step in the process.

• f. It is clear that the process of upgrading informal settlements is insufficiently determined by the economic, social and political forces that operate within these settlements. A balance needs to be struck between a top down and a bottom up approach.

• g. People involved in the technical aspects of housing need to become more aware of the non-technical context within which the upgrading process takes place. The constant pursuit of technical solutions, with little or no consideration of the economic, political and social environment, can only result in failure.