Trapped or not trapped? An empirical investigation into the lived experiences of the urban poor in Harare’s selected informal settlements

ABSTRACT

The role of informal settlements in human development remains contested in urban studies literature. For instance, some existing studies view urban informal settlements as hotspots of social unrest, squalor and precarious residential environments (poverty traps); while others perceive them as places where the poor become resourceful, ingenious, and develop necessary skills to navigate urban life (pathways out of poverty). The absence of systematic evidence on the nexus between informal settlements and human progress hinder sound urban policy practices. This paper examines the role of informal settlements in human development focusing on Hopley, Hatcliffe Extension and Epworth Ward 7–Harare’s three largest informal settlements. The study combines surveys, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions with selected residents from the three neighborhoods. The study reveals that despite feeling ‘trapped’ in conditions of precarious, overcrowded, and insecure housing, coupled with discursive territorial stigmatization, some informal settlement residents are hopeful that their settlements will eventually improve. The ambivalence of Harare’s urban policy toward informal settlements must be replaced by a more positive approach to improve the livelihoods of people living in these neighborhoods.

KEYWORDS:

• Harare
• informal settlements
• pathways out of poverty
• poverty traps
• territorial stigmatization

Acknowledgements

The first author acknowledges the University of Sussex’s Migrants on the Margins research project (Grant No. ES/ N01474X/1). He specifically expresses appreciation to Professor Michael Collyer, the Principal Investigator on this project, for granting permission to use the data to write this paper. He also acknowledges the Development Governance Institute (DEGI), a research institutional partner on the Migrants on the Margins project, for providing maps of the three informal settlements. The active participation of residents of Harare’s informal settlements is gratefully appreciated—including their willingness to share their lived experiences. All the three authors thank the two anonymous reviewers and the Editor for their useful comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Royal Geographical Society [Grant No. ES/N01474X/1].

Notes on contributors

Elmond Bandauko

Elmond Bandauko Elmond Bandauko is currently a PhD Candidate and SSHRC Vanier Scholar in the Department of Geography and Environment at the University of Western Ontario. He is also a Graduate Fellow in the Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance at the University of Western Ontario. Elmond’s Doctoral research focuses on urban governance and the spatial politics of street traders in Harare, Zimbabwe. Elmond’s research interest also spans areas such as urban policy and governance, urban transformation in Global South cities (gated communities and new cities), urban informality, urban marginality among others.

Senanu Kwasi Kutor is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Geography and Environment at the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. His research interests span transnationalism, geographies of wisdom, immigration and wellbeing, migration, immigrants’ integration, and urban informality in cities of the developing world.

Robert Nutifafa Arku is currently a PhD Student in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto, Canada. He earned his bachelor’s degree (First Class Honors) in Land Economy from the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. Robert obtained his master’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of Waterloo, ON, Canada. Robert is interested in a range of urban planning and real estate issues. Specifically, his research interests include public engagement during urban planning processes, land economics, spatial decision support and analysis, smart cities, urban planning and development, amongst others. He is a student member of the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP), Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI), and a Student Associate of ESRI Canada Centres of Excellence (ECCE).