Adaptive Co-Design for Self-Help Housing in Durban

Abstract

AbstractIn Africa, informal settlements are home to more than half the urban population. Because of their spontaneous and unplanned nature, such neigh bourhoods represent one of the most complex challenges worldwide as they are characterised by a lack of basic services and infrastructure, poorly performing building materials, without any building plans approved and often on illegally accessed and hazardous land. As a result, informal settlements are more vulner able to natural disasters (such as storms, flash floods). Nevertheless, they show a unique resilience (social resilience) and natural capacity to cope with these catastrophic events. It can be argued that vulnerability and resilience can co-exist in those settlements. This research has two key objectives: mapping and characterizing vulnerability to natural hazards in spontaneous settlements and co-designing adaptive solutions for self-help housing upgrading in such neigh bourhoods. By combining drone imagery with collaborative mapping, the authors suggest a new approach to enhance community resilience and co-produce practical strategies for disaster management in South African informal settlements. Participatory action research methods are followed to co-produce knowledge with local residents, in a case study in the Durban Metropolitan area. The ultimate goal of this study is to build capacity in local communities seeking to improve their quality of life and assist local authorities in enhancing their intervention towards more resilient futures. Findings show the importance of a meaningful participation of the local dwellers to co-design solutions tailored to the local context and community’s priorities, which lead to adaptive interventions.KeywordsInformal settlementsSelf-help housingResilienceCollaborative mappingCo-design