W2 - Informality Flashcards
(19 cards)
Define informal, illegal and illicit
Informal - reference to modes of settlement, trade or exchange that occurs outside of formal legal structures/processes - Porter 2011
Illegal - Transgresses a specific law in a given context - Chiodelli and Gentili 2021
Illicit - Act subject to social disapproval, regardless of legality - Chiodelli and Gentili 2021
What 3 dimensions of informality are there in a city?
Lombard and Horn
1) Working
2) Living
3) Governing
Give an overview of working informally
30-85% of workforce works informally as they have no formal qualifications
Informal work means no legal protections like employment rights/pensions
Limited access to formal finance for micro enterprises (microfinance can fill this gap)
Give an overview of living informally including origin of term “slums”
“Slums” originally referred to Victorian era housing - we now use “informal settlements” due to negative connotations
Lack of agreed definition and data (not on maps)
What are the 5 parameters used to define a slum according to UN-Habitat?
1) inadequate access to safe water
2) inadequate access to sanitation and other infrastructure
3) poor structural quality of housing
4) overcrowding
5) insecure residential status’
What are the 3 levels informality can happen at according to Lombard and Meth, give example
1) Informal tenure of land - Cairo tomb dwellers populated by refugees and migrants -
2) DIY house construction
3) Incremental service provision
Define and give an example of elite informality
Upmarket developments bypassing planning regulations and built on corruption, eg. Villas in Bogota
What factors make informal settlements exist?
Housing need and inadequate formal response underpinned by twin forces of the state and market
What did Porter, Roy and Bhan say about informality ?
Porter - Informality is not outside formal systems, but created by them
Roy - The state has the power to determine what is informal and not
Bhan - Urban development chaos is not planned, but rather an outcome of planning (paradox)
How has the approach to tackling informal settlements changed?
From 1950’s onward, from punitive to supportive, state led, citizen led and co-produced responses with a focus on housing, services and land
What is the role of international organisations in tackling informal settlements?
UN SDG 11 and their New Urban Agenda
World Bank - exchanging data, funding
Give an overview of the early state led approaches, impacts and an example
Post colonial independence led to evictions and demolitions with no compensation or relocation - justified by citing environmental risks or the need to make the city “world class” for Real Estate
- This caused many psychological and socio-economic affects by breaking up social networks, livelihoods and education
- Moved to mass produced public housing, with insufficient shelter, destroyed community ties and became “vertical slums”
eg. Indonesia Bandung, incompatible with way of life
Give an overview of the approach from 1970’s onward and its limitations
Aided self help approaches
- Informal living as a solution
- Provided with low cost developable plots with basic facilities, houses to be DIY built
Limitations
- Costly and inaccessible
- Requires credit access
- Schemes are far away from jobs
- Difficult for women heads to build houses
What changed about the aided self help approach in the 80’s?
Went from relocation and starting afresh to improving existing settlements, required lots of funding
Basic services were provided
Access to microfinance
Location important due to proximity to jobs
Little community involvement until late 80’s
faced resistance by urban elites
What was the new state led response in the 80’s after aiding self help (in situ upgrading)? Give an overview of the Lima Peru case
Land titling, legalising informally held property to improve tenure security which helps economic and social inclusion
Land tenure is a “bundle of property rights”
Allows housing to be used as a consumption and investment good
Give some positives and critiques of land titling approach
Rolled out late 90’s in Peru, benefiting 6 million people
- increased property values by 25%
- Owners move out and rent out dwelling
Critiques
- Only 1% of people got access to mortgage loans
- No wealth creation
- May generate insecurity and land speculation
- Formal titles coexist with traditional land tenure systems
What was a similar approach to land titling also used?
Regularisation - distinguish between legal tenure and security of tenure, this gives long term security
Gave collective titles to the community where residents undertook most of the construction work
Give an overview of citizen led approaches and coproduction
Citizen led approach
Led by residents, CBO’s in collaboration with NGO’s
Slum Dwellers international
More participation
Co production - a political process
Complementary role of actors
