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Retrieving the Baby from the Bathwater: Slum Upgrading in Sub-Saharan Africa

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  • Sumila Gulyani

    (Urban Planning Program, Columbia University, 400 Avery Hall, 1172 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA)

  • Ellen M Bassett

    (Urban and Regional Planning Program, Michigan State University, 217 UPLA Building, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA)

Abstract

Drawing on project experiences over a thirty-year period and academic literature, this paper focuses on the question: what has worked in slum upgrading in Africa? We find that efforts to regularize land titles to confer de jure security of tenure have not been encouraging. By contrast, infrastructure investment efforts have performed better—they have conferred de facto security of tenure and also ameliorated living conditions. Over time project-based learning and microlevel innovations have helped improve upgrading performance. To create broader and sustainable benefits, however, upgrading needs to go to scale. We propose an upgrading strategy with the following elements—a programmatic approach that links slums to citywide systems, is channelled through government, and combines a community-demand and participation approach with supply-side constraints and rules of access.

Suggested Citation

  • Sumila Gulyani & Ellen M Bassett, 2007. "Retrieving the Baby from the Bathwater: Slum Upgrading in Sub-Saharan Africa," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 25(4), pages 486-515, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirc:v:25:y:2007:i:4:p:486-515
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    Cited by:

    1. Hans Voordijk, 2012. "Contemporary Issues in Construction in Developing Countries," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(4), pages 331-333, February.
    2. Venla Niva & Maija Taka & Olli Varis, 2019. "Rural-Urban Migration and the Growth of Informal Settlements: A Socio-Ecological System Conceptualization with Insights Through a “Water Lens”," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-16, June.

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