EDITORIAL

The Journal of Inclusive Cities and Built Environment Issue Number 3 Volume 2 of 2022 comprises of eight (8)papers. These papers revolve around critical issues that have been trending globally and negatively impacting oncities. While some of these issues have become a perpetual negative emblem of cities (such as informal settlementsand spatial exclusion); others (such as floods and covid-19) are new entrants with equally devastating effects oncities. These papers are contextually driven by imperical evidence from African cities – however, their depth ofanalysis goes beyond the African context. Hence cities, accross the global, can be depicted in the same contextespecially when observed from the maraunding effect of floods and the covid-19 pendemic

From the guest editor

Cities, especially in developing countries, have variously been described as places of hope and despair, places of innovation and strange encounters, and places of economic prosperity and acute poverty. These expressions engender the challenges and advantages inherent in the cities for its different classes of dwellers. Some people view cities basically as acutely unequal in terms of the spread of resources and opportunities. Infrastructure is not laterally and symmetrically evenly distributed within city spaces. This is so because of various issues and challenges ranging from discrimination, gender inequality, class segregation, political interference and manipulation, population distribution and several other challenges inherent in the city space. Given the afore-mentioned background, SACPLAN together with Town and Regional Planning Journal has commissioned this special call for manuscripts from academics, scientists, and practitioners across the world in city-oriented research to address the subject of access to the city by all people, irrespective of their age, class, race, gender, and any other spatial consideration for a Special Journal Issue titled: Cities for All / The right to the City. This issue accepted the manuscripts from the following authors

POLICY BRIEF- SAFER CITY AUDIT FOR WOMEN

Urbanization is closely linked with increases in economic and social development. Yet in South African cities, alongsideall the growth and advancement taking place, progress is undermined by the dearth of safety, resulting from poorplanning, security challenges, poor and/ or lack of infrastructure. Consequently, putting both city’s inhabitants andvisitors in danger, and women, in particular, bear the heaviest brunt of unsafe urban spaces. While the post-apartheidSouth African cities are open to women, there still exists a gap in their safety and experiences within the same cities

ADDRESSING INNER-CITY DECLINE THROUGH URBAN REGENERATION – THE CASE OF DURBAN POINT PRECINCT DEVELOPMENT

Most inner cities and big towns have in one way or other experienced urban decline. So many reasons can be attributed to urban decline and these include, property abandonment, crime, high unemployment and the rundown of inner-city services thereby leading to the failure to attract new investments. This study focused on exploring the extent to which inner city urban regeneration strategies impact on socio-economic issues in order to create a sustainable inner-city urban environment. This was achieved by exploring applicable inner-city planning principles and examining the role of institutions in the regeneration process. The focus was on the Durban Point Precinct which is a waterfront environment – an area which falls under the eThekwini Municipality Central Municipal Planning Region. This paper is based on empirical research whose data was collected using both qualitative and quantitative research methods such as face-to-face interviews, direct observation and household questionnaires. More so, the study was governed by the competitive city theory and neoliberalism which both speak to the emerging nature of regeneration intervention measures (as typified by mixed developments). The study concluded by noting that inner city urban regeneration strategies are an ideal approach in dealing with declining areas since they resuscitate economic and social life. In the process, such intervention measures do not only redevelop the city, but they rebrand the inner city

Tilapia genetics : survival, growth and sex differentiation

Production of all-male tilapia for aquaculture is assuming an increasingly important role. An important pre-requisite to repeated obtainment of monosex tilapia is a clear understanding of the mechanisms underlying sex differentiation. Histological observations on gonadal morphorgonesis and sex differentiation provided basic data for hormonal sex manipulation in four commercially important species. Results indicate that gonadal morphogenesis starts at different times ranging from eight days after hatching in 0. mossambicus to 17 days in 0. niloticus. Sex differentiation followed a similar pattern, and ranged from 22 days in O. mossambicus to 36 days in 0. niloticus. The effects of subjecting fish to different rearing temperatures was assessed. No significant influence was found on sex ratio of treated fish. Observations on offspring sex ratio in intraspecific breeding and interspecific hybridization demonstrated that significant differences between batches are a common occurrance and their regularity cannot be adequately explained on the basis of sex chromosome theory alone. Treating fish with synthetic androgen (17 alpha methyltestosterone) and synthetic oestrogen, (17 alpha ethenylestradiol) resulted in species specific and dosage dependant differences in sex ratios. Results also revealed significant differences in sex ratios of different batches of fish subjected to the same treatment, thus demonstrating that success rate in sex inversion varies not only between species and between stocks, but in sib groups as well. Results of intraspecific and interspecific breeding suggest that sex determination in tilapia is under the influence of multiple factors. Results of hormone treatments indicate variations in inversion rate at batch level, thus demonstrating presence of individual differences in lability. On the basis of results from these four experiments, it is hypothesized that sex in tilapia is influenced by multiple genes and the fishes' propencity to change sex varies in individual fish. Progeny testing oestrogen sex inversed fish indicates that on the basis of the chromosome theory of sex determination, S. galileaus and O. niloticus are female homogametic, while O, macrochir is female heterogametic. The implications of the results obtained in this study for production of all-male tilapia are briefly discussed

Introduction

Inclusivity challenges that are prevailing in African cities and beyond, require concerted multi-thronged efforts from allstakeholders to address them. This is so because inclusivity issues cannot just be viewed from a narrow periscopebut a comprehensive spectrum of inputs and actions. On the strength of the aforesaid, it became expedient for theSARChI-Chair for Inclusive Cities to organise a critical symposium that interrogated the concept of inclusivity froma multi-disciplinary dimension. Such an enquiry into the nature and extent of urban inclusivity in an African citycontext, provides an appropriate platform to understand factors underpinning the need to establish desired inclusivity(Medayese et al., 2016)

Challenges of Vulnerable Immigrants: A focus on Refugees and Housing , Their Canadian Experience

The refugee and immigrant problem in Canada are gradually descending into a crisis. Women and elderly people are among the categories of people who experience differentiated integration processes and some forms of discrimination in society. A percentage of immigrants live in poverty, insecurity, and social exclusion, for these individuals, may be in great distress, itinerant, or living in precarious housing conditions. This dire situation made this research imperative to better understand the challenges and measures needed to address the housing challenges of these vulnerable groups. This paper examines the immigrant and refugees housing challenges in Canada. Immigrants and refugees find themselves under diminished capacity as an individual or group to anticipate, cope with, resist, and recover from the impact of the natural or man-made hazard. Qualitative research method was adopted, and data were generated by both primary and secondary sources. Focus groups and policymakers were also interviewed to come up with a logical conclusion on the topic of discussion. The study concludes that there are tripartite causes of housing challenges for refugees and migrants cannot be overemphasized, and it is interconnected to economic, political, and cultural systems. Also, that at best, what has been obtainable is ethnic-specific efforts targeted at some certain migrant groups, which further creates ethical dilemmas as different groups of refugees and different groups of immigrants receive different levels of assistance which is not sustainable, and also antithetical to recommendations from international organizations whose mandate is to ensure quality and adequate housing as a pressing human right issue.  The study concluded that creating economic opportunities for migrants and refugees, making information, quality housing, more available and accessible. Also, when housing providers bring cultural agencies into social housing, it would go a long way in mitigating the challenges housing by immigrants and refugees in Canada.  Key words: Immigrants; refugees; housing challenge

The effectiveness of monetary policy in the COMESA-EAC-SADC region of Sub-Saharan Africa

This research investigates the effectiveness of monetary policy in 11 countries from the COMESA-EAC-SADC free trade area of the sub-Saharan Africa region. It provides a historical account on the environment upon which monetary policy operated in each country from 1995 to 2015 and examines the transmission channels of monetary policy using factor augmented vector auto-regression models. It also uses auto regressive distributed lag models to assess the size and nature of the interest rate pass through (IRPT) of the central bank’s policy rate to average lending and deposit rates in each country. The results reveal heterogeneities in the strength of the transmission channels and IRPT across the countries due to differences in macroeconomic and financial developments; and the conduct of monetary policy. Using bank level data from Malawi, the research further provides evidence of heterogeneities in IRPT across financial institutions mainly due to market power, liquidity and risk conditions; and across products on account of menu costs. The findings suggest that in different degrees, the countries need to adopt policies that would improve the effectiveness of monetary policy; and that the authorities of the COMESA-EAC-SADC need to take into account the heterogeneities across the countries when establishing the criteria for harmonisation of economic policies in the region

Theory-based formative research on oral rehydration salts and zinc use in Lusaka, Zambia.

BACKGROUND: A theoretically grounded formative research study was carried out to investigate behaviour related to the use of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) and zinc tablets. The purpose was to inform the design of the behaviour change component of the Programme for Awareness and Elimination of Diarrhoea in Lusaka Province, Zambia, which aims to reduce childhood morbidity and mortality from diarrhoeal disease. METHODS: Fourteen behaviour trials were conducted among caregivers of children under-five with diarrhoea. Caregivers were recruited from two clinics situated in rural and peri-urban Lusaka. Trials took ten days and data were captured using video, observation and repeated interviews. Additional data were collected through focus group discussions with mothers, observations in clinics and pharmacies and interviews with clinic and pharmacy staff. Findings were organised according to categories of behavioural determinants from Evo-Eco theory. RESULTS: Participants were all familiar with ORS and most knew its purpose. ORS use was motivated by symptoms of dehydration, rather than the start of a diarrhoea episode, and was stopped when the child had visibly recovered energy. Only four of 14 behaviour trial participants were observed to correctly prepare ORS. Errors were mainly associated with measurement, resulting in a solution that was too concentrated. ORS was not observed to be given to children at clinics. Although zinc was unknown in this population, it was positively received by mothers keen to learn whether zinc would work better than alternative treatments to stop diarrhoea. CONCLUSIONS: ORS was sub-optimally prepared and used at home. It was not used while waiting to be seen at a clinic. In homes, the behaviour change intervention should promote early and continued use of correctly prepared ORS. In the longer-term, these behaviours may best be encouraged by changing the product design or sachet size. Despite its unfamiliarity, this population was well disposed to the use of zinc as a treatment for diarrhoea; when zinc is new to a population, promoting zinc as a solution to stopping diarrhoea, which mothers seek, may drive initial trial. Ensuring the availability of zinc in public clinics and private pharmacies prior to commencement of any promotion activities is crucial

Mediation Function of Desired Quality of Life Between Place-Making and Liveable Communities in African Cities

The challenges which confront urban spaces in developing countries have become so enormous, and they continue to challenge the capacity of States in these countries to respond effectively. These challenges range from poor infrastructure to weak infrastructure governance systems, which has created urban liveability differentials within these Cities across Africa. Therefore, this paper examines the mediation role of Desired Quality of life between Place-making and Liveable communities in Africa using a partial least squares path analytic method. This study employed the use of a questionnaire to investigate the desired Quality of life criteria, the place-making preferences, and the focus of liveable communities within these African Cities through an online Google form survey, posted through social media outlets to different respondents across various cities in Africa. The Snowball technique was employed to achieve sampling of 390 respondents across Africa. The responses obtained were synthesized and analyzed using a path analytic approach; the paper examines the relationship between the study's constructs. The data analysis findings show that place-making indeed influences Liveable communities, and Desired Quality of life mediates the relationship between place-making and liveable communities. The results indicate that Cities that prioritize Quality of Life and place-making have better liveable community spaces over those that do not. The study findings have implications for Liveable communities, as it could help city development planners to acknowledge the influence of Quality of life on Placemaking and liveable communities. The study contributes to the current debate on measuring urban Livability within the African City Space by creating a set of desired indicators that suit the African setting's needs regarding City infrastructure planning and provision