Architectural Studies Publications

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Architectural Studies Publications

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    Urban household food insecurity and cash transfers in Bulawayo townships, Zimbabwe
    (Taylor and Francis, 2021-12-12) Ndlovu, S.; Mpofu, M.; Moyo, P.; Phiri, K.; Dube, T.
    Urban household food insecurity is highly prevalent in Zimbabwe due to the persisting poor macro-economic environment, droughts, HIV and AIDS and climate change. This paper examines the effectiveness of cash transfers in alleviating urban household food insecurity in the city of Bulawayo. The assessment focuses on understanding the extent to which cash transfers improve poor households’ access to food. The study was conducted in Makokoba and Njube townships. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in gathering and analysing data. Purposive sampling techniques were used to select study participants. Semi-structured in-depth interviews (50), questionnaires (280), and key-informant interviews (11) were used to collect primary data. The study is anchored on Sen’s Entitlement Approach in examining the role of cash transfers in strengthening trade-based entitlements of ultra-poor households. We find that cash transfers have nominally alleviated urban household food insecurity in these townships. Households receiving cash transfers have not meaningfully improved access to food on a regular basis. They ate small quantities of food, skipped meals and had poor dietary diversity regardless of receiving cash transfers. Factors such as low transfer value, irregular distributions, weak targeting mechanisms, disbursement mechanism and poor communication have deterred the effectiveness of cash transfers in the two townships. We recommend a revamp in design and implementation processes of cash transfer programmes. Transfers meant for improving access to food should be implemented in conjunction with livelihood projects to enable poor urbanites to meet non-food basic needs.
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    Public-Private Partnerships Development Finance Model in Zimbabwe Infrastructure Projects
    (Open Access Library Journal, 2021-04-25) Maposa, L.; Munanga, Y.
    The economic meltdown and infrastructure decay in Zimbabwe over the past two decades has been strongly attributed to the absence of public-private sector partnerships amid political decay. The rapid intervention by government in the last two years to undertake PPPs has been more pronounced in road network re-construction although not so many projects have been done to date. The financing model of these PPPs has taken centre stage hence the main objective of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of the PPP development finance model on infrastructure projects in Zimbabwe. PPPs are an alternative source of funding on infrastructure projects and have proved to ease pressure on governments as far as funds for capital intensive projects are concerned. The paper recommends the adoption of different PPP models for each sector given the differential requirements in each sector. It was found that a blanket model for all sectors does not work properly as different sectors have their unique characteristics. In addition, the paper recommends a speedy finalisation of the already initiated policy and institutional framework process to govern PPPs, which would also include putting measures in place centred on risk analysis and management during the process, issues on financing and issues on the mobilisation and incentivising of the private sector to participate in the process.
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    Urban Regeneration and the Perceptions of Commercial Real Estate Market Participants: The Case of the Johannesburg Inner City
    (Journal of African Real Estate Research, 2021) Simbanegavi, P.; Chigwenya, A.; Kodinye, M.; Msimanga, T.; Mbhele, T.
    Many factors contribute to urban decay in inner city locations as real estate investments fall and industries disappear or move to more attractive locations. In South Africa, the attainment of democracy and the resultant ‘white flight’in favour of decentralised locations precipitated urban decay. Commercial real estate has spill-over effects on foot-count and absorption rates on inner city real estate. It helps stimulate redevelopment of other property types such as apartments, which contribute to the overall economic revitalisation of the decayed inner city. This paper examines the challenges faced by real estate investors in regeneration projects in Johannesburg Inner City (JIC). The paper uses an exploratory qualitative research design, where interviews were conducted with commercial real estate participants in JIC. The paper identified five challenges faced by commercial real estate market participants regarding investments and operations: building acquisition, physical public infrastructure, homelessness, lack of financing, and crime. An understanding of these challenges faced by commercial real estate market participants is valuable for policy-makers trying to attract commercial real estate investments to the inner city. Successful regeneration projects will promote urban renewal and revitalise economic activities in the decaying regions. The identified challenges will illuminate municipal programs and policies needed for the development of inner cities.
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    Adopting Green Building Technologies for Sustainable Development: Insights from Harare, Zimbabwe
    (International Journal of Real Estate Studies, 2020-12-09) Chigwenya, A.; Zhakata, T. I.
    Green building is a fast growing concept that acts as a cardinal instrument of sustainable development, being proven as crucial in the achievement of sustainable development goals. The construction industry is seen as a critical player in the achievement of sustainable development because it makes huge contribution to the environmental degradation. However, in Zimbabwe, the adoption of green building technologies has been very slow, which means that the contribution of the built environment to sustainable development is apparently very minimal. The present study attempts to situate the Zimbabwean construction industry in the sustainable development framework. Technology is the cutting edge of development in the contemporary cities and the adoption of technologies in the construction industry will go a long way in attaining sustainable development. The study also examined the barriers to sustainable construction in the country using Harare as the case study. The study used qualitative methods to collect data. In-depth interviews and observations were employed. The research observed that there is very minimal adoption of green building technologies in Harare with only three buildings that have incorporated these technologies the rest are conventional buildings. Technology in the construction industry is therefore minimally used in the city of Harare and this has severe consequences on sustainability. The major reason for poor adoption of green technologies include lack of government policy, general lack of information and understanding on the need for green buildings, and the hostile economic environment in the country. The study therefore recommends that government should intervene with policies and regulations that promote green technologies.
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    Informality and the fight for rights to the city in Masvingo city, Zimbabwe.
    (Springer, 2021-02-21) Chigwenya, A.
    The urbanisation of poverty has seen ballooning livelihoods of the poor in contemporary cities as shown by proliferation of urban informality. These livelihoods are mushrooming against a background of repressive city regulatory frameworks that are aimed to stunt the development of urban informality. These repressive regulations have been denying the urban informality their right to the city. However, urban informality in the city of Masvingo has been growing despite these restrictive regulatory frameworks. The study examined how urban informality in the city of Masvingo has been asserting their right to the city in a city that has very hostile regulatory framework. The study utilised a qualitative approach to the inquiry, where in-depth interviews and field observations were employed. The study found out that the city of Masvingo has several instruments that are disenfranchising urban informality of their right to the city. These have been employed to remove informal traders from the city centre. However informal traders are also fighting from various fronts to assert their right to the city. They make use of political influence, employ militant ways, organise themselves into groups for taking over underutilized spaces in the city. The research therefore recommends that the city of Masvingo should employ pro-poor and inclusive urban development policies that should see the integration of urban informality in their mainstream economy. This should result in participation of informal traders in the development of the city and allow them to enjoy right to the city. This study will contribute to the growing scholarly work on the informal urbanism, especially the various ways they are using to assert their right to the city. Urban informality is known in many cities of the global South, for their exclusion in development cities, but this study is showing how informal traders are asserting their right to the city.