Matamanda Abraham R
Department of Urban & Regional Planning, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Urban Forum (Johannesbg). 2020;31(4):473-487. doi: 10.1007/s12132-020-09394-5. Epub 2020 Jun 20.
A phenomenological research design guided the study that documented the daily lives of citizens living in emerging settlements. Hopley Farm Settlement in Harare, Zimbabwe, was used as a point of reference. The study argued that emerging settlements are neglected spaces in which residents improvise in their daily life activities to enhance the livability of the settlements. The theory of desperation, which puts into perspective issues of spatial (in) justice, exclusion, power, and oppression, formed the theoretical foundation of the study. Findings spotlight some of the dilemmas experienced by residents living in emerging settlements. These citizens experience multiple shocks and stresses, which include lack of basic services, disconnection from formal services and the urban core, political exclusion, and violation of their human rights. In this regard, households engage in various activities that fall between resilience and desperation as they try to navigate their way in claiming the right to the city. The study recommends politicians and the government to put aside political differences and consider the welfare of the people instead of advancing political agendas.
一项现象学研究设计指导了该研究，该研究记录了生活在新兴定居点的公民的日常生活。津巴布韦哈拉雷的霍普利农场定居点被用作参考点。该研究认为，新兴定居点是被忽视的空间，居民在日常生活活动中进行即兴发挥，以提高定居点的宜居性。绝望理论将空间（不）正义、排斥、权力和压迫等问题纳入考量，构成了该研究的理论基础。研究结果突出了生活在新兴定居点的居民所经历的一些困境。这些公民经历了多重冲击和压力，包括缺乏基本服务、与正规服务和城市核心脱节、政治排斥以及人权受到侵犯。在这方面，家庭在试图争取城市权利的过程中，从事各种介于复原力和绝望之间的活动。该研究建议政治家和政府抛开政治分歧，考虑人民的福祉，而不是推进政治议程。
