Talks and Workshops

'Urban Initiatives' is a response by Habitat to the specific housing challenges faced by cities experiencing rapid rates of urbanization exacerbated by wars, famine and genocide. The greatest need for housing today exists within the burgeoning slums. An estimated 600 million people currently live in life and health threatening homes and neighborhoods. Urban populations are forecast to grow from 2 billion now to about 4 billion by 2025.

Urbanization CHALLENGES: Urban governments in developing nations are largely overwhelmed by the urbanization crisis. They lack the finances, the technical and management capacity to provide the engineering and social infrastructure necessary for sustainable urban living environments. Consequently the poor are left to accommodate themselves in unplanned settlements facing severe constraints to their well-being. The poor do not choose to live in slums, most simply have no alternative. They do not choose their neighbors, their neighborhood nor the survivalist culture that pervades their existence.

The Intentional Community is a model developed by the Urban Initiatives Department of Habitat which combines the mutual-help construction methodology with an intentional community formation process. Slum dwellers are provided an opportunity to move out of the slum and establish a new community - a secure and stable environment amongst persons who share common values, aspirations and identity. The collaborative construction process serves to facilitate not only the physical construction of houses but the formation relationships and values necessary for a new community.

THE DURBAN PILOT PROJECT
The Intentional community model was successfully implemented at Ethembeni, Durban South Africa during 2001 and 2002 and serves to validate both the methodology and product. The main characteristics of the process are listed below:

REQUIREMENTS FOR SELECTION
Invitation to participate was made through public notices through printed and radio media. Applicants were required to meet the following conditions:
ß Have demonstrable need
ß Have the ability to repay an amount of $25p.m.
ß Have no outstanding debts
ß Commit to building collaboratively (Min 500 hours sweat equity)
ß Demonstrate a savings record of at least 6 months
ß Participate in an envisioning and values formation process
ß Undergo ownership orientation and training

COMMUNITY FORMATION
Facilitated by Habitat, interested persons were gathered to conceptualize and envision a community - physically, culturally and spiritually. This vision was translated into a design brief and community covenant (code of conduct) which all prospective community members approved before planning commenced.