Voices of the poor

This case study draws on research that investigated the perspectives and experiences of civil society organisations with regard to access to urban land by the poor. The research was conducted by Warren Smit, commissioned by Urban LandMark. An introduction to the case study is given below. On the back of this sheet some learning and reflection activities are provided. You can do these activities on your own or in groups, as appropriate for your learning session. Look carefully at these activities before you begin so you know what to look for while you are reading. The next part of the document presents perspectives on access to urban land by poor people. These perspectives were drawn from interactions with civil society organisations in Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg. The final component of this document includes a summary of key issues that were covered in the case study and recommendations arising from it.