AndyBolnickwww.ikhayalami.co.zawww.reblok.co.za

HOUSING+MITLCAU3MAY2018CommunityBuilding

THESACONTEXT

• South Africa

• 56.6 million people (Stats SA 2016)

• 34.4 million urban population (62%)

• Approximately 45% of urban population (15 million) live in informal settlements and in backyard informal dwellings

1.5 m

1994Backlog:

Number of households

2.3 m

1994-2010Subsidised

housing units produced

2.1 m

2010Backlog:

Number of households

3 029 745 m

From 2010 produced 9297465

1994-2016 MarSubsidised

housing units produced

2.2 m

2016Backlog:

Number of households

HOUSINGSTATS

300 estimate

1994

10662001

27002015

• Nationally 10 shack fires each day, over 200 deaths p.a.• 7% HIV annual incidence rate - 1.8% in urban formal areas• Diarrhoea-related infant mortality up to 10 times higher than urban formal areas• Official estimates over 40% unemployment compared to 28% national average

Informal settlements are an EMERGENCY

IKHAYALAMIIkhayalamiisaNonprofitOrganisationthatwasestablishedin2006asaresponsetoconventionalapproachesindealingwithinformality,whichareunsustainableandpainstakinglyslow

Ikhayalami’sprimaryaimistodevelopandimplementaffordabletechnicalsolutionsforInformalSettlementUpgradingtobeembeddedinpeople’sdrivenprocessesandscaledupwiththesupportofthestate

Ikhayalami hasalonghistoryoffacilitatingcommunityengagementandimplementingurbandevelopmentprojects

SinceinceptionIkhayalami hasbeenattheforefrontofinnovation– fromshackupgrading,tore-blocking,totheEmpowershack,tocreatingnewdigitalurbanupgradingtools

UsingDesignasaToolforCommunityBuilding

1. Re- blocking2. Empowershack3. Newdigitaltools

Re-blockingCommunityledspatialreconfiguration

Re-blockingCommunityledspatialreconfigurationofshackslocatedininformalsettlementsintoamorerationalised layout,enabling:

• Shackupgrading• Communitybuildingthroughdesign• Afarsaferenvironment:publicandsemi-publicspaces,thoroughfares and

roads• Emergencyservicesaccess• Mitigationoffuturedisasters• Easieraccessfortheprovisionofinfrastructureandbasicservices• Animmediatesolution• Sidesteppingbureaucracy,redtape,zoningandbuildingregulations• PartneringwiththeState• Improvedpossibilitiesfortenuresecurity

ShackupgradingUpgradingofshackswasinventedbypoorpeople

Butourcriteriaincluded:• Easttotransport• Quickandeasytobuild• Fireandfloodresistant• Durableandflexible• Affordable

Participative Planning Tools

DesignFostersCommunityBuilding:SpatialPlanning

Affordability

• Provisionofinfrastructureisfree• Costofshackupgradingranges

frominitiallyUS$300(now600)toUS$500(now1000)

• InSAcontexttheNGOcontributes80%andthecommunity20%becauseofsubsidyenvironment

Opportunities Challenges

• Itisapowerfultoolfortheurbanpoor• Re-blockingmethodologyputsthe

communityattheforefront• Allassumptionsintheinitialbriefwere

met• Influencedpolicy• Securedprovisionofservicesonaoneto

oneratio• Itisanimmediate,effectiveandaffordable

solution• Sidestepsbureaucracy,redtape,zoning

andbuildingregulations• Itamelioratesthethreatofevictionand

pavesthewaytowardstenuresecurity

• Co-producingasolutionisnoteasybutvital

• Partneringandaccessingresourcesfromgovt istediousandchallenging

• Theplacementofupgradedshackscreates‘permanent’plotsanddoesnottakeintoaccountthepotentialforusingformalbuildingmethodsasamechanismtowardslongtermformalisation

EMPOWERSHACKINPARTNERSHIPWITHURBANTHINKTANK/ETHZ,BTSECTIONCOMMUNITY&CITYOFCAPETOWN

InitialBrief

• Govertical• Modulardoublestoryshackupgradethatiseasyto

build• Communitybuildingthroughdesign• Samemethodologicalapproachandstrategyas

singlestoryre-blocking• Aquickandeffectivesolution• Designingreconfiguredlayoutwithpermanent

footprintinmindforfutureformalisation• EngagewithandpartnerwiththeState• Provisionofservicesonaonetoonehousehold

ratioinlinewiththenewlywonre-blockingpolicy• Livelihoodsandmicrofinancingscheme

Howdidwegetfromthis?

Tothat?

ImagescourtesyUTT

Howdidwegetfromthis?

Tothat?

ImagescourtesyUTT&Ikhayalami

Orfromthis?

Tothat?

ImagescourtesyUTT

Opportunities Challenges

• Createdablueprintforfutureupgradingprojects

• Replicableupgradingmethodologythatprovidesgreateremergencyaccess,increasedsafety,andimprovedinfrastructure

• Apermanentfootprintwithaservicedsanitationcoreineachunit,blockfirewallswithsecuretemporarylightweightfacadesoffersaframeworkforincrementalupgrading

• Pushedgovt buildingregulationboundaries–incrementaltocompliance

• Shiftinpolicytowardsfurthersubdivision• Thereisstillanopportunitytodoaprojectas

perourinitialbrief

• Initialbriefandcurrentoutcomearecompletelydifferent

• Gottiedupinbureaucracy,redtape,zoningandbuildingregulations

• Lessaffordable,backtothesubsidyconundrum

• Co-producingasolutionisnoteasybutvital• Partneringandaccessingresourcesfrom

govt istediousandchallenging

NEWDIGITALTOOLSFORCOMMUNITYENGAGMENT&PLANNING

3Dand2Dperspectives

AnInnovativeUrbanupgradingToolthatcanberepositionedtoanyUrbancontext• Forexample:TheEmpowershack

Opportunities usingdesignasamediumforcommunitybuilding Challenges

• Impacthasbeenprofound• Helpedresolveanumberofpreviously

unresolvedissues• Significantlyincreasescommunity

involvement• Broadenedandfurtherdemocratised

communityparticipation• Generatedwidescaleinterest aboutthe

implementation• Opportunityforcreatingadigital

enumerationtool• Opportunitytorepositiontheapplication

foranyurbancontext• Coproductionworkedwell

• Encounteredtechnicalglitchesandchallengesthathadtobeironedoutquicklyandeffectively

• Needmoretimeandfundingtodomoresuchas:

• designadigitalenumerationtool,• takeintoaccountcadastralboundariesand

infrastructureprovision,• asgameplayprogressesallowforthe

inclusionofdifferenttypologiessuchasdoublestoryshackupgradesandEmpowershack typedwellings

Potentialforscalabilityandreplicabilityofcommunitybuildingprocesses

• Designisapowerfultoolforcommunitybuilding• Socialorganisaton isacriticalaspectofdesign• Co-productionisanessentialpartofthesolution• Settingprecedentsasproofofconceptforfuturescalabilityand

uptakebyothersiscritical• Influencingtheheartsandmindsofpoorcommunitiesandthe

stateiscritical• Throughsettingprecedentsstarttochallengeoldassumptions

andbuildingregulations• Workwithothers,shareandfollowthethinkingthateverything

inthissectorbelongstothecommons

ThankyouAndyBolnick

www.ikhayalami.orgwww.reblok.co.za

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