Exploring the Transformation of Sustainable Collective Spaces

A Study from Mlalakuwa Informal Settlement

Abstract

A major challenge in collective space transformation is addressing the complexity of informal urbanisation in developing countries. Using a case study approach, this paper examines the concerns related to a particular informal settlement's sustainable collective space transformation. One of the key findings is that the absence of formal rules and regulations in the development of informal settlements in combination with land-grabbing leads to the absence of open spaces that could be used collectively. It is observed that sustainability in urban development is another body of critical thought that integrates several streams of current urban elements and embodies various conceptions of social-cultural, social-economic, environmental, and technological aspects as success factors for sustainable collective space transformation. As part of informal urbanisation, collective spaces should be addressed to lessen the intensity of restricted community spaces and create sustainable urban settings. Sustainable collective space development seems important in cities since it enhances several activities in the urban context with stable and appropriate collective spaces for community life. The paper concludes with a call for development actors, political commitment, and recognition of contextual responses when transforming collective spaces, rules set within informal settlements, and strategies branded for sustainable transformation.