Development Planning and Public Participation in Slum Settlements

Duncan Village is a shack settlement located near downtown East London, South Africa. There are an estimated 80,000 people living in shacks in Duncan Village (Umhlaba, 2004). Much debate exists over the appropriate methods to use in redeveloping this densely populated shack town. Planners are striving to meet the challenges associated with this kind of community redevelopment, such as adequate housing, limited land availability, appropriate urban forms, and government requirements for housing subsidies. This paper is an attempt to produce a model of participatory planning that will help improve the effectiveness of development policies in meeting the needs of residents of South African slum settlements.