Social Production of Habitat: Building the African Case in the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda

The notion of social productions of habitat refers to a process whereby a network of stakeholders collectively determines the productions and or improves the conditions of their own habitat (dwelling place and living environment). The process of social production of habitat is characterized by a large measure of voluntary action and people's agency. The key stakeholders in social production are generally informal groups or social enterprises and various other actors such as NGOs, donors, private sector enterprises, cooperatives supporting the community. The notion of social production, involves people at the community level relying on a collective set of skills and knowledge to identify, exploit and further develop local assets for the betterment of their habitat.

The New Urban Agenda highlighted important urban challenges and questions that contemporary cities are grappling with, such as how to plan and manage cities, towns and villages for sustainable development. One of the key outcomes from discussions on these various issues was the implementation of new global development and climate change goals. A key Sustainable Development Goals relatable to this event is 'Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

The Quito implementation Plan for the New Urban Agenda highlights a series of commitments to transform sustainable urban development. Among the list is the commitment to promote 'national, subnational and local housing policies that support the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing for all as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, that address all forms of discrimination and violence and prevent arbitrary forced evictions and that focus on the needs of the homeless, persons in vulnerable situations, low-income groups and persons with disabilities, while enabling the participation and engagement of communities and relevant stakeholders in the planning and implementation of these policies, including supporting the social production of habitat, according to national legislation and standards.

DAG believes that the side event on the social production of habitat will be an important platform to generate and impart evidence based knowledge instrumental in improving practice of social production of habitat. We strongly believe that:

a. Policymakers need to address key barriers to social production on habitat: ignorance, inertia, ideology

b. There is need to improve legislation to make implementation rules clearer and more explicit

c. There is need for broader reliance on a network of people at the community level to collectively identify, exploit and strengthen local expertise in the development process