In her analysis, Huchzermeyer has shown the response to the more technocratic approach to
upgrading that can be described as community driven development. This approach, embraced,
primarily by NGOs, is seen as providing the most appropriate mechanism for upgrading. Yet
there are a number of serious flaws in this particular approach. Firstly, it is situated within an
empirical framework, leaving it open to the same criticism as the technocratic approach, namely
that success is viewed subjectively. Secondly, it tends to be strongly ideological. Hence alternatives
that do not agree with the principles described above tend to be dismissed without consideration
of their merits. Thirdly, there is the issue of the principles themselves. It is suggested here that
policies underpin development; they do not drive development forward. Hence a reliance on
principles will not of itself lead to the upgrading of informal settlements on a scale that will be
significant. Finally, there is the issue of a community taking all the decisions. Abbott (1996), in his
model of community participation, showed that there are different arenas of participation. There
is an arena where communities should take the decisions themselves and there is an arena where
decisions have to involve a wider number of stakeholders. A settlement cannot be isolated from
the city of which it is a part. Hence, there has to be a much clearer understanding of exactly when
communities take decisions, when there is a partnership between a community and a local
authority (as opposed to local authorities supporting local communities) and when there has to be
a wider forum sharing the decision making. Much of the early work that underpinned the
community-based development approach, particularly in the Indian sub-continent, took place in
an environment, where government either could not or would not support communities in
informal settlements. This ‘‘arena of exclusion’’ as Abbott terms it (Abbott, 1996) may be
necessary but it is neither sustainable nor necessarily the most effective approach to development.
In her analysis, Huchzermeyer has shown the response to the more technocratic approach toupgrading that can be described as community driven development. This approach, embraced,primarily by NGOs, is seen as providing the most appropriate mechanism for upgrading. Yetthere are a number of serious flaws in this particular approach. Firstly, it is situated within anempirical framework, leaving it open to the same criticism as the technocratic approach, namelythat success is viewed subjectively. Secondly, it tends to be strongly ideological. Hence alternativesthat do not agree with the principles described above tend to be dismissed without considerationof their merits. Thirdly, there is the issue of the principles themselves. It is suggested here thatpolicies underpin development; they do not drive development forward. Hence a reliance onprinciples will not of itself lead to the upgrading of informal settlements on a scale that will besignificant. Finally, there is the issue of a community taking all the decisions. Abbott (1996), in hismodel of community participation, showed that there are different arenas of participation. Thereis an arena where communities should take the decisions themselves and there is an arena wheredecisions have to involve a wider number of stakeholders. A settlement cannot be isolated fromthe city of which it is a part. Hence, there has to be a much clearer understanding of exactly whencommunities take decisions, when there is a partnership between a community and a localauthority (as opposed to local authorities supporting local communities) and when there has to bea wider forum sharing the decision making. Much of the early work that underpinned thecommunity-based development approach, particularly in the Indian sub-continent, took place inan environment, where government either could not or would not support communities ininformal settlements. This ‘‘arena of exclusion’’ as Abbott terms it (Abbott, 1996) may benecessary but it is neither sustainable nor necessarily the most effective approach to development.
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