Informal settlements are often viewed in light of the nexus of vulnerability to climate change and the development challenge they represent. An opportunity to upgrade thousands of informal settlements in a decarbonised manner is presented as a central thrust of the government’s just urban transition framework. This comes at a time when national government has shifted its priority focus from formal housing provision to informal settlement upgrading. In reality, upgrading is hampered by technical, finance and governance challenges. Currently, there is little understanding – either amongst practitioners, or at grassroots level – of what a “just urban transition” means, let alone how this will affect informal settlement upgrading.

This concept note draws on a range of perspectives from people who had either been involved in developing the PCC’s “just urban transition” strategy, climate science, environmental justice, or those with specialist knowledge and experience in informal settlement upgrading. They were asked to reflect on what it could mean for South Africa’s progressive informal settlement upgrading agenda. This document aims to inform discussions and debate towards the co-creation of an (emerging) approach to informal settlement upgrading that embeds the principles and modalities of a just urban transition.

The project was funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).