Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 7-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Trapped or not trapped? An empirical investigation into the lived experiences of the urban poor in Harare’s selected informal settlements

Trapped or not trapped? An empirical investigation into the lived experiences of the urban poor... The role of informal settlements in human development remains contested in urban studies literature. For instance, some existing studies view urban informal settlements as hotspots of social unrest, squalor and precarious residential environments (poverty traps); while others perceive them as places where the poor become resourceful, ingenious, and develop necessary skills to navigate urban life (pathways out of poverty). The absence of systematic evidence on the nexus between informal settlements and human progress hinder sound urban policy practices. This paper examines the role of informal settlements in human development focusing on Hopley, Hatcliffe Extension and Epworth Ward 7–Harare’s three largest informal settlements. The study combines surveys, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions with selected residents from the three neighborhoods. The study reveals that despite feeling ‘trapped’ in conditions of precarious, overcrowded, and insecure housing, coupled with discursive territorial stigmatization, some informal settlement residents are hopeful that their settlements will eventually improve. The ambivalence of Harare’s urban policy toward informal settlements must be replaced by a more positive approach to improve the livelihoods of people living in these neighborhoods. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png African Geographical Review Taylor & Francis

Trapped or not trapped? An empirical investigation into the lived experiences of the urban poor in Harare’s selected informal settlements

Download PDF
20 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/taylor-francis/trapped-or-not-trapped-an-empirical-investigation-into-the-lived-Jhm6x1bGXt

References (28)

Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
© 2022 The African Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers
ISSN
2163-2642
eISSN
1937-6812
DOI
10.1080/19376812.2022.2077781
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The role of informal settlements in human development remains contested in urban studies literature. For instance, some existing studies view urban informal settlements as hotspots of social unrest, squalor and precarious residential environments (poverty traps); while others perceive them as places where the poor become resourceful, ingenious, and develop necessary skills to navigate urban life (pathways out of poverty). The absence of systematic evidence on the nexus between informal settlements and human progress hinder sound urban policy practices. This paper examines the role of informal settlements in human development focusing on Hopley, Hatcliffe Extension and Epworth Ward 7–Harare’s three largest informal settlements. The study combines surveys, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions with selected residents from the three neighborhoods. The study reveals that despite feeling ‘trapped’ in conditions of precarious, overcrowded, and insecure housing, coupled with discursive territorial stigmatization, some informal settlement residents are hopeful that their settlements will eventually improve. The ambivalence of Harare’s urban policy toward informal settlements must be replaced by a more positive approach to improve the livelihoods of people living in these neighborhoods.

Journal

African Geographical Review – Taylor & Francis

Published: Oct 20, 2023

Keywords: Harare; informal settlements; pathways out of poverty; poverty traps; territorial stigmatization

There are no references for this article.