ISULabaNtu will be at the Habitat III Conference
We are delighted to announce we will be presenting the ISULabaNtu project at a side event at the Habitat III conference in Quito, Ecuador on 17th October 2016 at 9.30am in room R6. Habitat III is the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development. Its objectives are to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable urban development, assess accomplishments from the last twenty years, address poverty and identify and address new and emerging challenges. The conference will result in a concise, focused, forward-looking and action-oriented outcome document.
At the event we will present some preliminary findings developed since our beginning in February 2016. The project team will lead an interactive presentation, followed by a panel discussion with experts including: Prof Marie Huchzermeyer from the University of the Witwatersrand; Dr Graham Alabaster from the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (Geneva Office); Emily Mohohlo and Rose Molokoane from Shack / Slum Dwellers International (SDI); Dr Zoleka Sokopo from the South African National Department of Human Settlements; and Ms Beryl Mphakathi, Head of Human Settlements in Ethekwini. Other panel members are also expected.
Information on the event can be found in the conference brochure
We will seek to critically discuss the preliminary findings of the first phase of our work, alongside a discussion of the following key questions:
What are the skills and capabilities that the South African municipalities need to develop to implement inclusive participatory models for the provision of housing and services?
How should one find the right balance between regulation and voluntary policy tools (e.g. incentives) in the context of informal settlement upgrading?
Upgrading often takes place in informal settlements that are on land that is not ‘ready to build’. How can we develop criteria and key performance indicators to incorporate upgrading in contexts where land is deemed unsuitable and where traditional & complex tenure schemes might apply?
What are the challenges in implementing micro financing schemes in slum-upgrading and how they are related to community empowerment and leadership?
What are the different definitions of “successful” community-led upgrading from the perspectives of the community, the NGO and the municipalities involved? What are the synergies and potential conflicts? How can different expectations be managed by the various stakeholders?
What are good examples of “community participation and “co- production” of knowledge with communities?
We hope to see you there!
More info on the side events can be found at the Habitat III website.
Detailed info on our side event can be found here.
