Advanced Studies in Efficient Environmental Design and City Planning

Abstract

From the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), social inclusion has been highlighted as an aspect to consider while developing urban areas. Progress has been witnessed to various degrees in developing countries. However, low-income communities have generally experienced a set of operational setbacks (Cobbinah et al., 2015). For instance, official development proposals have not met community needs, and assistance promised had not been provided (Sachs, 2012). Basic needs are fundamental to sustainable development schemes and Governments should develop strategies to ensure that basic needs are met. As stated in Brundtland report, "Sustainable development requires meeting the basic needs of all and extending to all the opportunity to satisfy their aspirations for a better life" (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p.16). This includes the provision of adequate food, energy, housing, sanitation, employment, water supply and health care. Satisfying these needs at community level will ultimately provide a better life for individuals (Holden et al., 2014).Informal settlements-or slum areas-are a common occurrence in developing countries. This phenomenon results from the migration of people from rural to urban areas looking for better opportunities to overcome poverty. Informal settlements play a significant role in the housing market as affordable housing schemes are often not attainable within the budget of a large section of the population. Furthermore, affordable accommodation rarely meets the requirements of the community (Hassan, 2012;Naceur, 2013). This leads to the potential conflict between informal settlement communities, land government authorities, and bordering societies (Lombard & Rakodi, 2016). Moore's Strategic Triangle model of the public policy states that a balanced strategy for an appropriate governance framework should comprise democratic legitimacy and government support, with community endorsement. In addition, adequate operational capacity is required to deliver development schemes that satisfy informal settlement resident's needs (Moore, 2000;Kavanagh, 2014). This paper compares informal settlements in Africa and Asia to identify what factors influence community satisfaction and, based on this makes, recommendations to inform future proposals for the redevelopment of informal settlements.