Partnerships


Partnerships
We aim to develop a strong community of practice of like-minded organisations, including community based organisations, social movements, non-government organisations, academic institutions, and government partner to advocate and lobby for pro-poor urban policy and practice.

	National Conference on the Right to the City
	In October 2010 DAG will co-host a three-day national conference with the Global Land Tool Network (UN-Habitat). The conference entitled Building a New Urban Order: Re-Imagining the City, will provide an opportunity to explore both international and local good practice and will develop strong partnerships to take forward an advocacy agenda on the Right to the City in South Africa. This includes exploring the potential for regulatory and fiscal land management instruments to be piloted and implemented by South African municipalities. The conference has two strategic objectives: To see participatory land management mechanisms and transparent, accountable governance in urban land use and management, used by government in South Africa to ensure access to well-located land for the urban poor; and For organised civil society within South Africa to effectively develop a collective agenda on the ‘Right to the City’ and how they wish cities to be governed. The conference will take place in Cape Town on 11-13 October 2010. For more information visit the Events page

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	Medium Density Housing
	Research and resources DAG’s Sustainable Medium Density Resource Book, published in 2008, is an in-depth guide to medium density housing options and tenure types as part of sustainable human settlements. The book is used widely by government, planners, academics, planning and architecture students, non government agencies and community based organisations. The recommendations of the book have been developed into a series of accessible and reader-friendly briefs entitled Urban Land Matters, designed to inform government officials and housing practitioners and encourage discussion and debate on the benefits of appropriate densification. Training and capacity building DAG creates deeper understanding of, and advocates for, mixed income, medium density housing on well located land. DAG strengthens capacity of officials through documenting and disseminating research and holding training events, as well as presentations and workshops for municipalities on request. DAG will hold a symposium on Medium Density Housing in 2010 to develop technical skills and knowledge among officials and housing practitioners. DAG also supports civil society’s understanding of medium density and supports their efforts to advocate for medium density housing on well-located land. Influencing policy and practice DAG’s good practice approach to medium density housing is used to inform advocacy to change policy and practice within municipalities. DAG has given strategic input to both the City of Cape Town's and the Western Cape Department of Local Government and Housing's densification and rental strategies.

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	Land Management and Value Capture Training Course
	In 2008, DAG worked in partnership with the Institute for Housing and Urban Studies, (IHS), Rotterdam to develop a training course in Land Use Management and Value Capture for municipal officials. The purpose of the course was to support municipal officials to: gain in-depth knowledge of value capture instruments and how they relate to revenue collection and land use management; develop an improved understanding of the operation of the land market and how it relates to the growth of informality; develop a basic understanding of the application of value capture instruments in selected international contexts; strengthen capacity to administer and manage land, as a public resource, in the interest of all citizens. The course was piloted in South Africa in 2008 and attracted fifteen officials from ten South African municipalities.The course was facilitated by international experts who have more than two decades experience on issues related to informality, urban land markets, land use policies and value capture in Latin America. Course facilitators were Claudio Acioly of the Institute of Housing and Urban Studies (IHS)and Professor Carlos Morales Schechinger of UN-Habitat. An abridged Land Management and Value Capture course will run again from 14 -16 October 2010 following DAG’s National Conference. The course will be developed again in partnership with IHS Rotterdam with input from the Lincoln Land Institute and other experts in land management. The course will incorporate consolidated lessons from previous participant municipalities and DAG’s strategic land management research. Further details will be added shortly.

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	Community Leadership Training Programme
	DAG’s Community Leadership Programme aims to develop an active and informed citizenry to influence urban policy and practice through developing community leaders' skills and abilities to lead and manage development processes. The programme has run annually since 2005 and has trained over 200 community leaders. The programme aims to support community leaders to: understand how urban land markets work and how collective community action can lead to improved land access for poor communities; understand their ‘Right to the City’ and their rights, roles and responsibilities to participate in the democratic management of cities; and develop the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to lead communities’ active and collective engagement in participatory urban development processes. The planned modules for the 2010 course are as follows: June 2010 - Community driven Housing and Strategic Land Management July 2010 - Medium Density Housing and Strategic Land Management August 2010 - Democratic Urban Governance and Strategic Land Management September 2010 - Value Capture and Strategic Land management The modules aim to give participants a deep and holistic understanding of the different role players involved in, and competing interests for, urban land, as well as practical information on the specific role of civil society in influencing this market for the benefit of the urban poor. The Community Leadership Programme will prepare community leaders and support their engagement in the National Conference and other platforms for consultation including, for example, providing feedback on the City of Cape Town and Western Cape Department of Local Government and Housing Annual Reports. The Community Leadership Programme is also integrally linked to the Horizontal Learning Platforms which facilitates sharing, linking and learning between community leaders and activists and other role-players in the urban development sector.

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	Community Centred Technology in Equitable Land Management
	DAG developed a module on urban land management as part of the Applied Economic MPhil course at the University of Stellenbosch. The course is designed to support academics’ and students’ learning about equitable land management and facilitate their collaboration on research and capacity development related to land access and land management. Many of the students in the course are local government officials engaged in municipal finance or housing and land issues. The course is a valuable opportunity to create partnerships with these officials to support the application of their learning in their respective municipalities.
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