Exploring emerging human settlement forms and urban dilemmas nexus: challenges and insights from Hopley Farm, Harare, Zimbabwe
| dc.contributor.advisor | Mphambukeli, T. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Chirisa, I. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Matamanda, Rajab Abraham | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2019-07-10T09:09:30Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2019-07-10T09:09:30Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2019-01 | |
| dc.description.abstract | With the proliferation of emerging settlements that lack basic services, especially in the developing world, there is increasing global commitment to the planning and development of sustainable human settlements over the last decades as espoused in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Using Hopley Settlement in Harare as a point of departure, this study explored emerging human settlement forms and urban dilemmas nexus with regard to the challenges and insights in accessing water, sanitation, public transport and safety. Classical theories on settlement forms, normative theories which include the theory of good city form, and functional theories which include the machine model, as well as the city as an arena of conflict, were used to inform the theoretical framing of the study. Consequently, the sequential mixed method design was used through which survey design informed the quantitative component, while a phenomenological design informed the qualitative component of the study. A total of 450 questionnaires were administered to the household heads in Hopley, while 20 in-depth interviews were conducted with selected residents. Twenty key informants were interviewed, comprising of 10 informants from both the private and public sector. Remote sensing techniques and the Geographical Information System enabled the mapping and classification of Hopley’s emerging settlement. The applied systems analysis methodology helped in developing the causal loop diagrams which showed the causal relationships between the emerging settlement form and dilemmas experienced by the residents. The study found that the sprawling settlement form characterised Hopley which was in contrast to the envisaged compact form. It emerged that this contrast negatively impacted on the citizens’ access to basic services. First, uncoordinated development of human settlements where there is no connection between social, physical and economic issues was identified as a cause of this mismatch. Second, the use of archaic planning approaches and ideologies, undermines the planning process and consequently produces unintended settlement forms. Third, there is too much reactive planning and land use development without it being monitored, hence the emerging settlements do not relate to the envisaged plans. Fourth, political interference greatly compromises urban planning. Fifth, poor governance and planning result from institutional incapacity to address human settlement planning issues which pave the way for political dominance in planning processes. Sixth, these urban dilemmas experienced by the citizens in accessing basic services are somewhat induced challenges so as to marginalise the poor. Seventh, the collapse of the economy has greatly undermined service delivery and effective planning in the country, hence disconnects between the intended plans and the extant settlement forms. The study recommended the adoption of alternative technologies to improve on the provision of other basic services such as sanitation and public transportation. The City of Harare should determine the level of contamination of the groundwater in Hopley Settlement to establish the level of contamination of the groundwater in Hopley. Local authorities must be guided by local realities and formulate strategic and integrated planning approaches such as strategic and integrated development planning. The local governance landscape in Zimbabwe needs to be improved such that the issues in human settlement planning are administered in a way which helps to promote the establishment of sustainable settlements where human well-being is prioritised. The Government of Zimbabwe and the City of Harare should promote the constitutional rights of the poor with regard to accessing basic services. The study concluded that there were deeper issues which explained the disconnect between the emerging human settlement forms and urban dilemmas nexus and that the applied systems analysis methodology assisted in identifying the causal relationships between these disconnects which eventually assisted in policy formulation directed at diagnosing the appropriate issues. | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/10038 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Human settlement | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Emerging settlement | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Settlement form | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Urban planning | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Basic services | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Thesis (Ph.D. (Urban and Regional Planning))--University of the Free State, 2019 | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Exploring emerging human settlement forms and urban dilemmas nexus: challenges and insights from Hopley Farm, Harare, Zimbabwe | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |