The Transformative Power of Communities – Inclusive and Integrated Citywide Slum Upgrading

There are a 1 billion slum dwellers worldwide and if no further action is taken the number will increase to 3 billion people living without adequate housing. These alarming numbers stand for exclusion, lack of adequate housing, basic urban services and equal socio-economic opportunities through spatial and socio-economic segregation and gentrification as well as the exposure to disasters and environmental risks. The world acknowledged the importance of taking action and endorsed the Sustainable Development Goal Target 11.1 “By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums”.

The New Urban Agenda suggests participatory approaches, integration, equality and inclusion of all citizens for prosperity and sustainable urbanization for all. In line with the recommendations, UN-Habitat launched the World Urban Campaign on the Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP) initiated by the Secretariat of the ACP Group of States, financed by the European Commission and implemented by UN-Habitat. SDI, a transnational network of slum dwellers, has the capacity to ensure the poor are organized and collectively equipped with the requisite skill to make the very most of opportunities arising from PSUP and the NUA by participating, partnering and coproducing solutions for urban upgrading. The two global campaigns are tackling this challenge and are equipped with a wide range of tools for inclusive citywide data collection, policy and regulatory framework review, planning, financing as well as local economic development and community-led citywide slum upgrading project implementations.  

The workshop will focus and deepen learning exchange on four topics:
1) Participatory data collection, monitoring and advocacy for mind-set change and well targeted action
2) Citywide slum upgrading strategies, multi-governance approaches and community-driven implementation
3) Participatory planning and provision of secure tenure
4) Financing models for citywide slum upgrading (local funds and broader resource mobilization strategy including private sector participation)   

The methodology of the training event will consist of theoretical introductions from UN-Habitat and practical local reflections from SDI community leaders and local government representatives experts. The introduction will be followed by four working groups, with each with two practical experiences from citywide slum upgrading implementation with slum communities. This will provide the opportunity for a practical review of UN-Habitat’s and SDI’s projects on the ground and a broad learning experience for everyone. At the end of the session lessons learnt will be shared and recommendations for implementation, policy review and monitoring shared for institutionalizing approaches that harness the transformative power of communities.

No pre-registration required