Informal settlements::domain report

This working paper is a synthesis of findings from seven city domain studies whichemployed the African Cities Research Consortium’s (ACRC’s) conceptual framework toprovide new insights into the challenges faced by informal settlement residents inAfrican cities, and proposed ways in which those challenges might be addressed. Thepaper employs political and systems analyses to understand the political economy ofinformal settlements and systems failings. It argues that specific challenges can bestbe understood through a “developmental domain” analysis; that is, by examining howthe experts, residents and political actors who have coalesced around a set ofchallenges come to frame and address them, invoking specific policies, practices andideas. Informal settlements are treated both as loci of power and, at the same time, ashighly influenced by power dynamics at the city and international levels. Thedevelopment opportunities and outcomes associated with specific informal settlementsare influenced by how power is configured. They are also influenced by residents’understanding of the specific conditions in their settlements and their ability toeffectively mobilise for collective action. Essential to note is the paper’s mapping of the shifting policy context within informal settlements across the seven examined cities;this is attributed to factors like residents’ accumulation of practical experience, whichthey use to advocate for targeted policy interventions. Ultimately, the paper highlightsthe pressing need for examining contextual factors which can explain the varyingsuccess rates of policy interventions across different cities. Moreover, it is essential tounderstand the extent to which interventions at the settlement level translate to broadersystemic changes within the city and beyond