Tag: Housing

Categories
Pacific

Te Ara Awataha – The Awataha Greenway

Te Ara Awataha – The Awataha Greenway in Auckland, New Zealand

CROSS-CUTTING SECTORS

Urban planning, Housing, Climate, Resilience, Health, Transport, Water

ORGANISATION(S)

Auckland Council, Panuku Development Auckland, Kāinga Ora, Kaipātiki Project, Ngā Mana Whenua ō Tāmaki Makaurau (indigenous leaders)

PROJECT OVERVIEW 

Te Ara Awataha is a 1.5km green infrastructure project linking Northcote town centre to existing parks, schools and homes in Northcote, Auckland. It’s part of the wider urban regeneration of Northcote and seeks to resolve long-standing stormwater issues while creating a valued and resilient environmental asset. The project includes partial daylighting of the Awataha Stream, a shared walking and cycling path, native planting, play destinations and the integration of cultural design elements.

Te Ara Awataha is being delivered in partnership with the city council and its urban regeneration agency, the government housing authority and indigenous leaders from the area (Mana Whenua). The local community has been part of the design and delivery of the project, including a community-led restoration project at the source of the stream.

A key focus of the project is reviving the historic Awataha Stream, confined to an underground pipe since the 1950s and largely built over. This includes physical works to improve water quality and biodiversity, and social interventions that involve and educate the community. This approach instils a sense of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) for Te Ara Awataha.

Physical delivery began in 2020 and the project will be delivered in stages over the next 6 years.

Click here and here to find out more.

RELEVANCE TO THE CALL TO ACTION ON SUSTAINABLE URBANISATION ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH

These examples have been chosen because of their relevance to the Call to Action, as shown by the direct quotes provided below. To view the Call to Action click here.

  • “All the Commonwealth member states’ urgent priorities have an urban dimension, and a greater focus on sustainable urbanisation will ensure that people, and improving the quality of life for all remain central to the work of the Commonwealth.”
  • “Cities are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and where the impacts of climate change are experienced acutely.”
  • “Seeking urgent action to reduce carbon emissions, halt biodiversity loss, strengthen climate resilience and adaptation, while addressing the finance gap and calling for a greater local response to climate change issues.”

THIS EXAMPLE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY

Panku Development Auckland: https://www.panuku.co.nz/

Categories
Africa

Catalysing Affordable Housing in Kenya

Catalysing Affordable Housing in Kenya

CROSS-CUTTING SECTORS

Finance, housing, climate, land tenure, urban poor, gender

ORGANISATION(S)

REALL in partnership with BuildX Studio Ltd (formerly OrkidStudio)

PROJECT OVERVIEW 

Rapid urbanisation in Kenya means that the current housing deficit stands at over 2 million homes – with an estimated 61% of Kenyans living in slums. Several challenges currently limit the housing supply including high cost of land, high construction costs and outdated construction materials and methods. Kenya remains over-dependent on cement-based materials delivered through highly wasteful and inefficient methods which harm the environment.

Reall recognises that construction must be climate smart and have partnered with BuildX, Africa’s first B Corp Certified Design-Build company, to deliver greener affordable housing, without compromising on quality and design. Together, BuildX and Reall are creating construction sustainability through sourcing local materials which significantly reduce carbon emissions. They are also piloting standardised housing construction which leverages technology – maximising recycling and reuse and reducing waste and emissions.

Coupled with their strong green build expertise, BuildX have excellent gender equality credentials, prioritising labour and training for women. Click here for more information on the project. 

RELEVANCE TO THE CALL TO ACTION ON SUSTAINABLE URBANISATION ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH

These examples have been chosen because of their relevance to the Call to Action, as shown by the direct quotes provided below. To view the Call to Action click here.

  • “Cities and human settlements are responsible for ensuring delivery of essential services including water, sanitation, healthcare, education, public transport, and housing”
  • “There is already a substantial deficit in investment in essential urban infrastructure.” 
  • “Cities are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and where the impacts of climate change are experienced acutely.”
  • “Sustainable urbanisation demands collective action – genuine multi-level governance – to empower, enable and support cities and their citizens.”

THIS EXAMPLE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY

REALL: https://www.reall.net/

Categories
Africa

Access to Secure Land for Housing in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Access to Secure Land for Housing in Freetown, Sierra Leone 

CROSS-CUTTING SECTORS

Urban planning, land tenure, governance, housing, health, WASH, climate, resilience, community-led 

ORGANISATION(S)

Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC) in partnership with Federation of Urban and Rural Poor – Sierra Leone (FEDURP) with the support of Architecture Sans Frontières – UK and The Bartlett Development Planning Unit of University College London.

PROJECT OVERVIEW 

Unplanned growth and the lack of adequate access to secure land for housing are among the main challenges faced in Freetown. More than 30% of Freetown’s population live in informal settlements, and local or national governments do not have any specific policy focused on informal settlement upgrading. There is no coordinated effort to secure tenure for those living in informal settlements or to improve their living conditions. This challenge is being addressed through the development of the Community Action Area Planning methodology (CAAP). CAAP aims to identify key development principles and potential actions for the upgrading of informal settlements in Freetown. Cockle Bay and Dwarzack were the first informal settlements to engage in this process, and its development aimed to recognise and enhance the capacity of local residents to respond to the settlement’s development challenges, support efforts to avoid evictions, and promote community-led in-situ upgrading initiatives. A governance structure to the implementation of the CAAPs was set up, which aimed to build community ownership of the process, as well as institutional avenues to ensure that the outputs would be endorsed by Freetown City Council and relevant national ministries. This resulted in the setting up of a community learning platform (involving key representatives from the settlement) and a city learning platform (composed by key urban stakeholders). Click here and here for more information.

RELEVANCE TO THE CALL TO ACTION ON SUSTAINABLE URBANISATION ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH

These examples have been chosen because of their relevance to the Call to Action, as shown by the direct quotes provided below. To view the Call to Action click here.

  • “Cities and human settlements are responsible for ensuring delivery of essential services including water, sanitation, healthcare, education, public transport, and housing, upon which their citizens depend.” 
  • “Sustainable urbanisation requires a commitment to good governance, integrated planning, effective service delivery together with fiscal and political empowerment.” 
  • “Sustainable urbanisation demands collective action – genuine multi-level governance – to empower, enable and support cities and their citizens.”  

THIS EXAMPLE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY

International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED): https://www.iied.org/

Categories
Europe

One City Plan in Bristol UK

One City Plan in Bristol UK

CROSS-CUTTING SECTORS

Governance, SDGs, Public service delivery, Urban Planning, Youth, Housing, Climate, Financing, Transport, Health, Capacity Building, Community-led

ORGANISATION(S)

Bristol City Council

PROJECT OVERVIEW 

Launched in January 2019, the One City Plan describes where Bristol wants to be by 2050, and how city partners will work together to create a fairer, healthy and sustainable city. The One City Approach brings together a wide range of public, private, and third sector partners within Bristol. They share an aim to make Bristol a fair, healthy and sustainable city. A city of hope and aspiration, where everyone can share in its success. One of the key messages to the city is that no single organisation can solve the interconnected challenges facing Bristol alone. The One City Approach reconstitutes the City Council as a convening space for the energy and expertise of the city’s businesses, universities, public services, sports clubs, international communities and the voluntary and community sector. By bringing together partners from across the city they can deliver sustainable inclusive development that is integrated and improves connection with communities by including under-represented groups, and allowing them to shape the plans. The One City Plan is structured around six themes; Connectivity, Economy, Environment, Health and Wellbeing, Homes and Communities, and Learning and Skills. All the initiatives within the One City Plan are underpinned by the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, which provide an internationally recognised framework to benchmark the city’s aspirations and progress. Click here to view the One City Plan dashboard.

RELEVANCE TO THE CALL TO ACTION ON SUSTAINABLE URBANISATION ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH 

These examples have been chosen because of their relevance to the Call to Action, as shown by the direct quotes provided below. To view the Call to Action click here.

  • “Cities and human settlements are responsible for ensuring delivery of essential services including water, sanitation, healthcare, education, public transport, and housing”
  • “Cities are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and where the impacts of climate change are experienced acutely.”
  • “Sustainable urbanisation demands collective action – genuine multi-level governance – to empower, enable and support cities and their citizens.”
  • “Sustainable urbanisation requires a commitment to good governance, integrated planning, effective service delivery together with fiscal and political empowerment.”
  • “The Commonwealth has the potential to transform the way in which it does business to achieve a uniquely Commonwealth response to the challenges and opportunities of urbanisation.”

THIS EXAMPLE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY

Bristol City Council

Categories
Asia

Revolutionising House Lending for Pakistan’s Informal Sector

Revolutionising House Lending for Pakistan’s Informal Sector

CROSS-CUTTING SECTORS

Finance, housing, urban poor, climate 

ORGANISATION(S)

REALL in partnership with Ansaar Management Company (AMC) and House Building Finance Company (HBFC)

In Pakistan, the affordable housing challenge is vast with many bottlenecks. One of the main blockages is the lack of housing finance for people on low incomes. These people have been systematically misunderstood or excluded by mainstream mortgage lenders.

Reall have invested in affordable housing property developer, the Ansaar Management Company (AMC), who has successfully launched a pioneering new mortgage product in partnership with the semi-state-owned lending institution HBFC.

AMC and HBFC’s mortgage product is available to people in both formal and informal employment. They have de-risked lending by AMC withholding titles until the loan amount is recovered as a guarantee to HBFC. Community development officers maintain the housing site which increases property value and reassures HBFC that returns will exceed sale value in the case of customer default.

The mortgage product for people on low incomes is the first of its kind in Pakistan. With more than 60 mortgages granted so far, the initial performance has been outstanding with average repayment rates of 80% in 30 days, increasing to 99% in 90 days. This data is proving the commercial viability of lending to this market segment whilst creating opportunities to scale up, resolve the escalating urbanisation crisis and unleash the developmental and economic potential of affordable housing.

RELEVANCE TO THE CALL TO ACTION ON SUSTAINABLE URBANISATION ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH

These examples have been chosen because of their relevance to the Call to Action, as shown by the direct quotes provided below. To view the Call to Action click here.

  • “Cities and human settlements are responsible for ensuring delivery of essential services including water, sanitation, healthcare, education, public transport, and housing, upon which their citizens depend.”  
  • “There is already a substantial deficit in investment in essential urban infrastructure.” 
  •  “Sustainable urbanisation requires a commitment to good governance, integrated planning, effective service delivery together with fiscal and political empowerment.” 
  • “Sustainable urbanisation demands collective action – genuine multi-level governance – to empower, enable and support cities and their citizens.” 

THIS EXAMPLE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY

REALL: https://www.reall.net/

Categories
Africa

Participatory, Scaled-up Informal Settlement Upgrading in Nairobi, Kenya

Informal Settlement Redevelopment in Nairobi, Kenya  

CROSS-CUTTING SECTORS

Urban planning, land tenure, housing, governance, resilience, community-led 

ORGANISATION(S)

To develop holistic interventions, the partners launched eight consortia with 46 partner organisations, who range from academics and civil society groups to government officials, utilities agencies, and private firms. Each consortium was led by a corresponding department from Nairobi’s County Government. Additionally, Muungano and its partner NGOs SDI-Kenya and Akiba Mashinani Trust (known as the ‘Muungano Alliance’) worked closely with the consortia. 

PROJECT OVERVIEW 

Mukuru is a large informal settlement located in Nairobi’s industrial area, with about 300,000 residents. Mukuru residents face several risks simultaneously linked to low-quality shelter, infrastructure, and services, as well as the settlement’s insecure tenure and flood-prone location. About 95% of residents are tenants who rent rooms in shacks, typically built of mud and/or galvanised iron sheets. Residents usually have very limited access to water, sanitation, and hygiene; there is also elevated of tenure insecurity due to Mukuru’s prime location on contested private lands. Residents also face social and political exclusion, as in Nairobi’s other informal settlements. After years of advocacy by Kenya’s slum-dweller federation Muungano wa Wanavijiji and related action-research, Nairobi’s County Government declared Mukuru a Special Planning Area (SPA) in 2017. This SPA has developed an innovative combination of 1) large-scale, multi-sectoral upgrading, 2) strong community participation, 3) minimal displacement, 4) interdisciplinary consortia, and 5) partnerships between government, civil society, residents, and other stakeholders. The partners also 6) transformed conventional planning standards, while also seeking to enhance physical and social infrastructure. Consortia members found ways to keep nearly all households in place: for Mukuru’s new transport network, the widest road will be just 12m rather than the conventional 48m. The SPA will prioritise improved non-motorised transport and support the construction of narrower roads/paths. Implementation of this multi-sectoral intervention is already underway with various official agencies. Click here for more information.  

RELEVANCE TO THE CALL TO ACTION ON SUSTAINABLE URBANISATION ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH

These examples have been chosen because of their relevance to the Call to Action, as shown by the direct quotes provided below. To view the Call to Action click here.

  • “Cities and human settlements are responsible for ensuring delivery of essential services including water, sanitation, healthcare, education, public transport, and housing, upon which their citizens depend.” 
  • “Sustainable urbanisation requires a commitment to good governance, integrated planning, effective service delivery together with fiscal and political empowerment.” 
  • “Sustainable urbanisation demands collective action – genuine multi-level governance – to empower, enable and support cities and their citizens.”  

THIS EXAMPLE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY

International Institution for Environment and Development (IIED): https://www.iied.org/

Categories
Americas & The Caribbean

Pioneering Initiatives for Sustainable Cities in Antigua and Barbuda

Pioneering Initiatives for Sustainable Cities in Antigua and Barbuda 

CROSS-CUTTING SECTORS

Community-led, Housing, Urban poor, Resilience, Renewable energy, Gender 

ORGANISATION(S)

Led by local community groups in partnership with the Department of the Environment and the Organisation of American States (OAS), and involvement of the Association of Persons with Disabilities 

PROJECT OVERVIEW 

The Caribbean island of Antigua is extremely vulnerable to the threat of climate change and severe weather conditions, with areas of poorly constructed housing and little in infrastructure and climate defences. Within the community, Ruth Spencer has been organising a programme of educating the public on solar power technology and its potential to lower their cost of electricy. Partnering with local community groups, churches and local suppliers, they have been able to provide materials and training to be able to install solar panels and carry out building upgrades. With funding from national organisations, they are working to mitigate against flooding and building sustainable agricultural practices to improve food security. These initiatives have been locally driven, with engagement from wide sectors of the community. Click here for more information. 

RELEVANCE TO THE CALL TO ACTION ON SUSTAINABLE URBANISATION ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH

These examples have been chosen because of their relevance to the Call to Action, as shown by the direct quotes provided below. To view the Call to Action click here.

  • “Many Commonwealth cities and human settlements are grappling with poverty, informality, food security and migration.” 
  • “Cities are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and where the impacts of climate change are experienced acutely.”
  • “Cities and human settlements are responsible for ensuring delivery of essential services including water, sanitation, healthcare, education, public transport, and housing, upon which their citizens depend.’
  • “Sustainable urbanisation demands collective action – genuine multi-level governance – to empower, enable and support cities and their citizens.”

THIS EXAMPLE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY

UN-Habitat: https://unhabitat.org/

Categories
Africa

The Green Refugee Camp in Minawao, Cameroon

The Green Refugee Camp in Minawao, Cameroon 

CROSS-CUTTING SECTORS

Capacity building, Housing, Urban poor, Climate  

ORGANISATION(S)

Implemented and supported by United Nations Refugee Organization (UNHCR) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and with funding from the Dutch National Postcode Lottery 

PROJECT OVERVIEW 

The effects of climate change and socio-political factors are leading to increasingly large populations being displaced, with migrants often fleeing to poor countries with limited resources. The rapidly growing refugee community in Cameroon’s Minawao refugee camp has led to significant environmental and social challenges, including water shortages, damage to valuable grazing land, desertification and deforestation. To address this, the camp has constructed temporary shelters made from locally sourced biodegradeable materials, that do not result in plastic waste and have a reduced carbon footprint associated with transportation, they have invested in eco-friendly cooking stoves and have planted tree nurseries with an associated education and training programme to ensure they survive. The Green Refugee Camp aims to set an example of sustainable construction and management of a refugee camp. Click here for more information. 

RELEVANCE TO THE CALL TO ACTION ON SUSTAINABLE URBANISATION ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH

These examples have been chosen because of their relevance to the Call to Action, as shown by the direct quotes provided below. To view the Call to Action click here.

  • “Many Commonwealth cities and human settlements are grappling with poverty, informality, food security and migration.” 
  • “Cities and human settlements are responsible for ensuring delivery of essential services including water, sanitation, healthcare, education, public transport, and housing, upon which their citizens depend.’
  • “Cities are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and where the impacts of climate change are experienced acutely.”
  • “Sustainable urbanisation demands collective action – genuine multi-level governance – to empower, enable and support cities and their citizens.”

THIS EXAMPLE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY

UN-Habitat: https://unhabitat.org/

Categories
Asia

Kita-2-Kita Programme: Empowering Urban Poor Communities in Selangor, Malaysia

Kita-2-Kita Programme: Empowering Urban Poor Communities in Selangor, Malaysia 

CROSS-CUTTING SECTORS

Good Governance, Housing, Urban Poor, COVID-19, Technology, Public Service Delivery 

ORGANISATION(S)

Think City, Afrik Nexus, Selangor State, Menteri Besar Incorporated, Pemodalan Negeri Selangor Berhad, Lembaga Perumahan dan Hartanah Selangor, Perumahan Hartanah Selangor, Citi Foundation 

PROJECT OVERVIEW 

In the Klang Valley (Greater KL), Malaysia, nearly 1 in 4 residents live in public housing which has many major issues that need to be addressed such as old housing stock and infrastructure, lack of social mobility and empowerment, poor job security and other related systemic challenges. The K2K programme has been designed in response to Covid-19 to test ways to engage with the community during movement control restrictions and deliver aid efficiently and transparently. The project has wider aims to reduce residents’ cost of living, improve standard of living and strengthen management systems in urban poor communities within Malaysian public housing schemes. A digital platform links residents with aid and support services in an efficient and transparent way that also generates community insights. In addition to food aid delivery, the programme is now focussing on relieving mental stress, building social cohesion and skills development. The programme delivery combines both traditional and digital methods of implementation.  

RELEVANCE TO THE CALL TO ACTION ON SUSTAINABLE URBANISATION ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH

These examples have been chosen because of their relevance to the Call to Action, as shown by the direct quotes provided below. To view the Call to Action click here.

  • Cities “are vulnerable to external shocks and natural disasters and are dealing with both the immediate and long-term effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic.” 
  • “Sustainable urbanisation requires a commitment to good governance, integrated planning, effective service delivery together with fiscal and political empowerment.” 
  • “Sustainable urbanisation demands collective action – genuine multi-level governance – to empower, enable and support cities and their citizens.” 

THIS EXAMPLE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY

Think City: https://thinkcity.com.my/