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- Convenors:
-
Ezana Haddis Weldeghebrael
(University of Birmingham)
Samson Olanrewaju (Osun State University)
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- Format:
- Paper panel
- Stream:
- Youth movements, education and urban informality
Short Abstract:
The session examines the role of multi-stakeholder coalitions in tackling the predicaments of urban informalities, land conflict, exclusion, and displacement through amplifying marginalized voices, co-producing inclusive solutions, and navigating governance challenges for sustainable urban reform.
Description:
Southern cities are grappling with rapid urbanization, poverty, and environmental degradation, disproportionately affecting marginalized groups, including low-income communities and informal economy actors. Informal settlements, unregulated land markets, and land conflicts exacerbate these challenges, often leading to displacement due to government-led urban renewal, forced eviction and gentrification. Addressing these issues requires innovative approaches that move beyond traditional top-down urban planning. Emerging research on urban reform coalitions (Kamath, 2023; Mitlin, 2023) highlights the potential of multi-stakeholder collaborations to foster inclusive solutions. These coalitions, which bring together disadvantaged groups, NGOs, local authorities, academics, and businesses, aim to challenge power dynamics and co-produce solutions that address urban inequalities. However, key questions remain about the governance structures, strategies, and challenges of such coalitions. How do they amplify marginalized voices and integrate their knowledge into policy decisions? How do disadvantaged groups exercise agency within these alliances, and how do coalitions navigate the complexities of balancing power relations? This panel will explore these questions, examining the role of multi-stakeholder coalition-building in overcoming the challenges of urban informalities, land conflict, and displacement as well as adverse relations in global South. It will assess how these coalitions can address the dual role of land as both a source of conflict and a critical resource for development. The discussion will also critically reflect the role of academics in facilitating policy dialogue and knowledge co-production processes. Ultimately, the session will explore the opportunities and limitations of urban reform coalitions in promoting inclusive urban futures amidst ongoing crises and development dynamics.
Accepted papers:
Paper short abstract:
This paper presents analysis of the educational mobility of youth from an urban resettlement, at the periphery of Delhi (capital), India. The idea of periphery highlights not only geography but also economic and political marginalisation of living in a chequered space of legal/illegal claims-making.
Paper long abstract:
In many countries of the world, urban redevelopment is accompanied by dispossession and resettlement of urban poor to the peripheries of the city. On similar lines, the capital city of India, Delhi’s preparation to host the international Commonwealth Games (2010) was preceded by multiple evictions of communities living in jhuggi-jhopdi (JJ) settlements (slums) on the Yamuna riverbank almost two decades ago. Our study is based in one such community, ‘rehabilitated and resettled’ from Yamuna riverbank to the Bawana JJ cluster at the periphery of the city since that time (2004 onwards). The NGO working with the community since before the eviction drive, ‘resettled’ with them, continuing to work among them, however, with a significant shift in stance towards an intensive education and skill-based intervention among the youth. The organisation works both directly in the community and in tandem with the government school departments to strengthen the provision of quality education among children and youth from the working-class communities, as a means to foster more inclusive futures. Based on a representative household level survey of about 350 households living in this resettled slum, our study aims to understand the socio-economic trajectories of individuals in such communities, with a specific focus on their education and occupational mobility outcomes. In addition, we analyse the long-running interventions by the equality guided NGO and their community stakeholders, to understand their impact on empowering the youth to overcome the challenges of being members of a disenfranchised community and overall, in addressing the prevailing urban inequalities.
Paper short abstract:
An example of an informal urban reform coalition that is shifting the policy agenda in favour of informal rental housing and grassroots property enterprises. I analyse the role of different stakeholders in promoting policy change, including intermediary organisations, professionals and academics.
Paper long abstract:
The paper explains how an informal partnership is changing the way affordable housing is produced in Cape Town. It explores the alliance’s composition, the roles of different actors and the shifts in City Council policies and practices. The shared objective is to supplement or replace state-led housing delivery systems with a more developmental approach driven by many grassroots property enterprises. With the glue of goodwill, the alliance draws together diverse partners with different expertise, resources and legitimacy. Through collective action they have amplified the voice and capabilities of emerging micro-developers and opened the bureaucracy to outside interests. This has altered the perspectives of senior politicians and officials towards informality, and prompted the City Council to instigate wide-ranging reforms, galvanizing a momentum for change that may be difficult to arrest. The paper illustrates the power of a compelling vision supported by sound technical arguments and articulated by credible actors and organizations.
Paper short abstract:
The study examines the interplay between trust, governance, and economic agency in South African townships. Using participatory methodologies, it highlights how multi-stakeholder coalitions, informal financial systems, and digital tools can drive inclusive growth, equity, and grassroots agency.
Paper long abstract:
South African townships, a legacy of apartheid's spatial and economic segregation, are emblematic of socio-economic inequality and spatial marginalisation. Townships areas are disproportionately affected by poverty, unemployment, and systemic marginalisation and remain hubs of informal economic activity. The prevalence of limited economic opportunities, unregulated land markets, and urban renewal initiatives that seem to disregard the opinions of township residents exacerbate these problems. Consequently, tension between the government and township communities leads to widespread protests, uprisings and resistance movements despite the various participatory governance mechanisms that have been put in place. This study argues that the continued economic disparities coupled with a history of discrimination have created a complex interplay of mistrust in economic governance institutions, identity politics and a sense of hopelessness. Accordingly, the study interrogates the interplay of trust, governance, and economic agency within townships to identify innovative pathways for economically inclusive urban futures. Furthermore, the study seeks to understand how multi-stakeholder coalitions can promote inclusive economic growth by leveraging informal financial systems, digital technology, and cultural industries. The study also examines how power dynamics and social identities might influence urban reform coalitions and promote grassroots agency and equitable governance. The study uses participatory methodologies (Qualitative Impact Assessment Protocol, QUIP, and Participatory Assessment of Development, PADev) to amplify local voices while emphasising the co-production of knowledge with community members, NGOs, and policymakers. Mdantsane and Khayelitsha townships are used as study sites.
Paper short abstract:
This study identifies key analytical dimensions and proposes a typology of urban reform coalitions based on an analysis of multi-stakeholder collaboration initiatives in ten African cities. It provides a framework for further in-depth analysis of reform coalition-building in Southern cities.
Paper long abstract:
Addressing Africa’s intricate urban problems requires challenging adverse relations through building solidarities across class and other social divides. In this regard, urban reform coalitions, i.e., multi-agency collaboration for a specific goal, provide a viable strategy for pushing inclusive urban reforms depending on the local political context. This paper aims to contribute to the emerging literature on urban reform coalition-building in Southern cities by expanding our conceptual understanding of the form, purpose and content of coalitions. Based on a desk review of the African Cities Research Consortium's urban development domain study reports supplemented by internet search, this study identified and analysed urban reform coalition initiatives in ten African cities. The study shows that coalition form, temporality, goal, degree of formalisation, class composition and key outputs are key dimensions in analysing urban reform coalitions. The findings also suggest that reform coalitions aiming to benefit a wider segment of the urban population and target marginalised groups, as well as reform coalitions that facilitate dialogue and knowledge exchange platforms, tend to foster cross-class alliances. Nonetheless, building inclusive reform coalitions is predicated on a well-organised disadvantaged group. Using goal orientation and class composition as typological dimensions, the paper proposes five distinct types to invite in-depth analysis of urban reform coalitions in the global South.
Paper short abstract:
This paper explores the process by which coalitions emerge, subjectivities become politicized and transformative adaptation scales up. For this, the paper deploys a Deleuzian framework that highlights the relationship between authority, knowledge, immanent capacities and contradictory events.
Paper long abstract:
In the context of rapid environmental change, research on adaptation politics highlights the role of power in socio-ecological change, offering insights on how authority, knowledge and subjectivity shape adaptation pathways. Less attention has been given to how authority emerges, subjectivities become politicized and transformative adaptation scales up. This paper addresses these limitations, drawing on a Deleuzian reading of subjectivity, prioritizing analytically immanent capacities and contradictory events. This framework is applied to the case of Pikine, an informal Dakar settlement, where intensifying floods in the 1990s were managed through drainage canal construction, authorized by the president. The paper links this decision to historical legacies and unexpected events, including floods, structural adjustments, the emergence of a coalition of youth organizations, and changing government authority. It invites policy to foster the self-organization capacity of emerging coalitions of vulnerable groups and to leverage the openings offered by moments of crisis.
Paper short abstract:
This paper examines land conflict, informality, and displacement in Osogbo, Nigeria, highlighting the socio-economic and psychological consequences of rapid urbanization, unregulated land markets, and development-induced displacement in peri-urban areas.
Paper long abstract:
Land conflict, informality, and displacement are critical challenges facing African cities, where rapid urbanization and growth often outpace formal land use systems. In Osogbo, Nigeria, the situation is dire as its rapidly growing peri-urban area areas experience high population growth, urban expansion and unregulated land markets making them sites of contestations over land rights, access to resources, and urban development. These conflicts have become more pronounced as the original settlers in the peri-urban areas faces eviction and displacement due to development projects, and private estates development which leads to significant socioeconomic and psychological consequences. To address these, the paper will explore the complex nexus between land conflict, informality, and displacement in African cities. It will also highlight how these phenomena are shaped by both crisis and development dynamics. It seeks to provide an understanding of experiences of land use disputes, and how its associated power dynamics are negotiated. It will also discuss how displacement impacts livelihood strategies and sense of belonging, the role of informality in shaping urban development processes, and how development agendas contribute to the displacement of vulnerable populations. These will highlight the dual role of land in African cities—as both a source of conflict and a critical resource for socioeconomic development.
Paper short abstract:
The paper examines urban renewal in Addis Ababa post-2018, analyzing forced evictions. Drawing on interviews, observations and media reports, it shows how centralized decision-making, repression and securitization prevented reform coalitions, silenced dissent and marginalized affected communities.
Paper long abstract:
Drawing on the case of urban renewal in Addis Ababa post-2018, the paper critically reflects on when urban reform coalitions can emerge. The paper draws on (1) over 180 interviews conducted with tenants, sub-letters, property owners, business owners and squatters who were forcefully evicted for urban renewal projects from two inner-city neighbourhoods in Ethiopia’s capital, Piassa and Kasanchis; (2) observations at urban renewal sites and relocation sites; (3) interviews with politicians and bureaucrats involved in the urban renewal planning and execution; (4) formal government statements; and (5) traditional and social media reporting. Analysing the execution of forced evictions in the two field sites, mapping patterns of resistance and subversion of the process and exploring the immediate consequences of forced evictions on residents and businesses, we demonstrate that the Ethiopian government has effectively precluded the emergence of reform coalitions. Decision making has been centralised and coordinated by the PM and the mayor’s office and remains opaque for outsiders. Concerned communities have not been allowed to participate in the process and possible mobilisation has been prevented through a mixture of lack of information, short time frames for action, threat and repression. Detention of journalists and activists reporting on forced evictions and the dominance of the government over the narrative discourage civil society organisations and businesses to engage with the issue. In the end, top-down planning and execution of urban renewal have disenfranchised concerned communities, pushed them to the outskirts of the city and disproportionately affect marginalized groups, further silencing their voices.
Paper short abstract:
This paper explores the contradictory encounter between state vision and representation of Hawassa as developmental promises on the one hand, and the complexities of managing urban growth in a context marked by competing interests among elites seeking to control Hawassa on the other.
Paper long abstract:
This article explores the dynamics of urban contestation and the role of multi-stakeholder collaborations in shaping the development of Hawassa, Ethiopia. As a rapidly growing secondary city, Hawassa has experienced increased international capital and a significant influx of workers due to the construction of the Hawassa Industrial Park (HIP). Due to high rate of urbanization, Hawassa faces numerous challenges including the expansion of informal settlements, poor infrastructure, and growing inequalities, all while navigating ongoing political disagreements. These challenges have led to tensions among various socio-cultural groups, political elites residents, and migrants, each with claims to the urban space and political power. The study examines how these various layers of contestations manifest in urban governance. Drawing on case studies and interviews with key stakeholders, the article highlights the complexities of managing urban growth in a context marked by competing interests among elites seeking to control Hawassa. Our analysis demonstrates that while multi-stakeholder collaborations have the potential to foster more inclusive and sustainable urban development, they are often hindered by power imbalances and contestation that occur in multiple layers and spaces. The findings enhance the understanding of urban contestations in African secondary cities and suggest that effective governance can be improved through a better understanding of competing interests and establishing inclusive systems that address the challenges of especially migrant workers and marginalized groups.
Paper short abstract:
A unique case of an emerging agrarian-urban reform coalition from a key southern site that politically complicates both the question of possibilities and limits of urban inclusion as envisioned from settled standpoints, academic or otherwise, in relation to dynamic multistakeholder collaborations.
Paper long abstract:
In 2024, hundreds of villagers from the rural fringe of India’s National Capital Territory of Delhi (hereafter Delhi) gathered for an indefinite protest in central Delhi—demanding implementation of the city-state’s 2041 Master Plan. This congregation of “farmers”, agrarian landowners and village youth—and mostly men with a few women—were led by the Pradhan (or chief) of Palam 360 Khap, a traditional community organization led by dominant agrarian castes that claimed to represent all 360 villages of Delhi as well as all 36 biradaris (or fraternities) living in its villages, thus, demonstrating unity not only across both rural and urban geographies but also across various caste groups and social divisions in these villages. Similar protests were held by other factions of Delhi’s "farmers" demanding planned urbanization where all such demonstrations, popularized through word of mouth and social media, often transpired under vernacular framings of a Mahapanchayat (large or great Panchayat i.e., village council) for Delhi’s original residents. Such posturing transpired despite Delhi's Panchayati Raj or formal systems of rural governance being phased out since the 1980s. These agitations for the urban future of Dilli Dehat i.e., Delhi’s countryside or rural Delhi, demanded planning and property rights in a city that is largely unplanned and informally urbanised. Yet these demands for inclusion through planned urbanization emerged against a blanket threat to boycott state elections in 2025. Through ethnographic reflections, I will illustrate the political economic stakes behind this emerging agrarian-urban ”reform” coalition whose power and reach has only increased under India’s digital turn.
Paper short abstract:
This paper examines how mid-level bureaucrats in Southern cities mediate hybrid governance to enable multi-stakeholder coalitions in addressing urban informalities, exclusion, and displacement, offering insights for inclusive urban reform.
Paper long abstract:
Southern cities face profound challenges in delivering public services amid rapid urbanization, informality, and fragmented governance. While urban reform coalitions—comprising marginalized groups, NGOs, local authorities, and academics—are increasingly seen as vital for addressing these issues, their success often hinges on the role of state actors in mediating complex political and administrative landscapes. This paper shifts the analytical focus to interactions within the state, revealing how mid-level bureaucrats act as critical intermediaries in transforming formal institutions into functional service delivery systems.
Through a structured comparison of Bhopal and Lucknow—two Indian cities grappling with informality, exclusion, and low state capacity—the study uncovers how bureaucrats cultivate decisional autonomy while engaging productively with political actors and multi-stakeholder coalitions. Two mechanisms are central to this process: (1) vertical and horizontal coordination within fragmented administrative systems, and (2) mediation of the political economy of large infrastructure projects, balancing patronage demands with programmatic governance. These mechanisms enable bureaucrats to bridge gaps between elite policymakers, street-level implementers, and marginalized communities, fostering inclusive solutions to urban challenges.
The paper challenges the dichotomy between programmatic and patronage-based governance, demonstrating how hybrid arrangements can reconcile administrative capacity with political imperatives. By opening the black box of the state, it highlights the potential of bureaucratic intermediation to amplify marginalized voices, co-produce knowledge, and navigate power dynamics within urban reform coalitions. Ultimately, the study contributes to debates on inclusive urban futures by revealing how strategic intermediation can address informalities, conflicts, and displacement while promoting sustainable development in the Global South.
Paper short abstract:
The article positions the interplay between deterritorialization of the migrants and host communities and the re-territorialization of the protective agency referred to as the “new power”
Paper long abstract:
ABSTRACT
The political class in preparation for a 21st century urban city in the global south appropriate land for infrastructure developments. Yet a deeper interrogation shows an act of absolute deterritorialization, were a political force or agency end the existence of social relation, cultural enclaves, economic formation and context of migrants by demolishing, annihilating and mutating migrants’ settlements to constitute a new territory which totally excludes the migrants, which is the process of reterritorialization. This action brings about, conflict and displacements with attending pushbacks from the host community. Deleuze and Guattari’s theory was used to provide an interpretative framework which relates the concept to the exploitative and dispossessive manifestations evidential in Tarkwabay Pennisula. This article argues that land appropriation worsens migrants’ marginalization, while enhancing economic dominance and deprivations by the Nigerian Navy and other arms of government. The Tarkwabay Pennisula case study in Lagos reveals an underline motive of land appropriation, which is to displace migrants from their clustered environment because they sit on economically choicy land in the peninsula. This article examined how land appropriation deterritorialize migrants and host communities in the Tarkwabay Pennisula. This action raises important theoretical questions for displacement and land governance in re-imagining urban futures.
Keywords: Displacement, Governance, Land Appropriation, Land rights, Migration, Lagos
Paper short abstract:
I aim to bring an analysis of how privatization in Delhi’s waste management impacts waste pickers’ livelihoods, contributing to exclusion and displacement. Drawing on primary research, I’ll explore the role of unions in collectivization, their responses to these challenges, and policy solutions.
Paper long abstract:
There are around two hundred thousand waste pickers in Delhi, playing a critical role in recycling by collecting and segregating waste in the informal sector. Despite their vital contributions to environmental conservation and sanitation, these workers are denied basic rights, including regular wages and social security benefits. Many belong to economically marginalized and low-caste communities. Since the mid-2000s, privatization has transformed Delhi's waste management, replacing local waste sorting centers (dhalaos) with modern compactor machines and Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), largely operated by private companies in collaboration with the municipal corporation. This shift has disrupted waste pickers' livelihoods by limiting their access to waste, which is now directed to waste-to-energy plants or landfills. While some waste pickers have adapted by segregating waste at home, many have lost their income and face displacement and exclusion from waste management processes. Due to insufficient infrastructure and social support, they increasingly rely on non-state actors such as NGOs and unions for support The proposed paper will analyze the impact of privatization on waste pickers’ livelihoods, focusing on exclusion and displacement. It will also assess the responses of waste pickers’ unions, NGOs, and movements to this situation. Using primary data from ongoing research of the author and interviews with waste pickers, unions, and NGOs, the paper aims to contribute to discussions on integrating informal waste pickers into formal systems and informing policy decisions.