This article examines how infrastructure development takes place outside of formal government
involvement through the successful implementation of self-help projects by the residents of an informal
area in Egypt. Drawing on a case study of community-based efforts in Ezbet el-Haggana, one of Cairo's
largest informal areas, this study focuses on how residents have organized to gain access to infrastructure
services, by turns negotiating with, collaborating with, or working around the local administration to
bring electricity, water, and sanitation services to their neighborhoods. It explores their use of organizational
and financing strategies, particularly self-funding. The study's findings argue that community
contributions to infrastructure development in informal areas are an essential component of any feasible
strategy to meet the need for such services in a timely fashion. Such a feasible strategy would enable the
needs for basic services in rapidly-growing informal areas to be met, but they require governments to
consider alternative approaches that partner with local communities and prioritize essential infrastructure
needs, integration of informal communities into the urban fabric, and social justice. The paper
offers recommendations for integrating self-help approaches into government-led development plans
and programs to scale up “grassroots publiceprivate partnerships” and expand their use. This strategy
can advance sustainable development in Egypt and other developing and transitional countries, but it
will require building government capacity for outcome-oriented community partnering and greater
regulatory flexibility
This article examines how infrastructure development takes place outside of formal governmentinvolvement through the successful implementation of self-help projects by the residents of an informalarea in Egypt. Drawing on a case study of community-based efforts in Ezbet el-Haggana, one of Cairo'slargest informal areas, this study focuses on how residents have organized to gain access to infrastructureservices, by turns negotiating with, collaborating with, or working around the local administration tobring electricity, water, and sanitation services to their neighborhoods. It explores their use of organizationaland financing strategies, particularly self-funding. The study's findings argue that communitycontributions to infrastructure development in informal areas are an essential component of any feasiblestrategy to meet the need for such services in a timely fashion. Such a feasible strategy would enable theneeds for basic services in rapidly-growing informal areas to be met, but they require governments toconsider alternative approaches that partner with local communities and prioritize essential infrastructureneeds, integration of informal communities into the urban fabric, and social justice. The paperoffers recommendations for integrating self-help approaches into government-led development plansand programs to scale up “grassroots publiceprivate partnerships” and expand their use. This strategycan advance sustainable development in Egypt and other developing and transitional countries, but itwill require building government capacity for outcome-oriented community partnering and greaterregulatory flexibility
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