Developing an informal settlement upgrading protocol in Zimbabwe – the Epworth story

Abstract

This paper describes how a settlement profile, mapping and enumeration of Magada, an informal settlement in the town of Epworth just outside Harare, provided the basis for an upgrading programme. This was both in terms of the needed information and in terms of agreement between the residents and their community organizations and local and national government. The local government’s agreement to support in situ upgrading was the first of its kind in Zimbabwe and it is the first settlement plan to include meaningful participation by residents in articulating their own development priorities and in influencing the design. The work to map and number each plot was undertaken by teams that included residents, supported by members of the Zimbabwe Homeless People’s Federation and its support NGO Dialogue on Shelter Trust, along with planning students. This was supported by high resolution satellite images and a GIS process was developed drawing in data from enumerations covering each household. A concept plan was developed and presented to residents and the local government to allow feedback. A survey of buildings showed where there were clusters of commercial activities and allowed mixed land uses to be accommodated in the upgrading plan. Guidelines were developed to show where the proposals contravened existing official standards and to justify what was proposed. The paper ends with a consideration of what still needs to be accomplished – including agreement on the re-alignment of plots, the means for transferring tenure and how to finance proposals. It is hoped that this initiative will lead to a protocol for in situ upgrading that can be used to inform the upgrading process in other cities in Zimbabwe.