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Inclusive data and digital tools for informal settlements

Bunmi Alugbin

Moderator

date November 5, 2024 | 15:00 - 16:30
place
Multipurpose room 09
organization
University of Glasgow
country
United Kingdom
language
English
Reference: 
NE 09-02

Summary

More than a billion people live in slums and informal settlements, mainly in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICS). There is a global housing crisis, violating one of the fundamental human rights, and no consistent local reporting approach exists to quantify progress towards SDG 11.1 to “ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services, and upgrade slums”. The global community urgently needs localized data that can be produced at scale so that local action can be taken to address the needs of neglected and vulnerable populations alongside local governments.

Presently many methods and tools are developed within the research community to effectively monitor the dynamics of informal settlements and slums and spatial inequalities. However, there are two major challenges in this space. First, there is insufficient cooperation between different research groups working on methods and tools. Second, the research community is insufficiently engaging with community groups and policymakers to understand local information needs.

To deal with Challenge 1: This networking event will bring together key research groups working on methods and tools to develop operational monitoring spatial inequalities around SDG 11.1. The event aims to form the basis for a federated exchange platform around the comparison of methods and tool development that includes the creation of a white paper reflecting on knowledge shared during this event and the development of an exchange platform to grow the discussion.

To deal with Challenge 2: This networking event will bring together tool builders and user communities as part of the federated approach to co-designing digital tools according to information needs and to understand what outputs can make the biggest impact on user communities. Panel discussions and open forums facilitated within the event will break down existing barriers that segment these two groups.

The event will begin with a series of short pitches of digital tools and their methods for tackling the aforementioned challenges. These pitches will be followed by panel discussions that reflect on the existing landscape, drawing on perspectives from a diverse range of stakeholder backgrounds. The third section of the event will engage event participants through the use of digital tools to facilitate Q&A and open discussion.

- Solving challenges 1 & 2 using digital tools and methods as well as exposing challenges not discussed.
- Making an impact with digital tools in local spaces.
- Learning from the success of citizen-centred digital tools in other contexts.
- Fostering positive interaction between local urban communities and policymakers through data and digital tools.

The conclusion of the event will be hosted by the organizers. It will focus on summarising learnings and advancements made through collaboration in the session with a particular aim to shape the development of the exchange platform.

Objectives

The session will primarily reflect on ways to improve the landscape of tools that combine geospatial and citizen-generated data for monitoring SDG 11.1 and, more generally, housing and environmental conditions. The session will foster open discussions, allowing participants to interact and co-create new knowledge on how digital tools can support transparency and engagements to develop shared visions towards local action for sustainable communities.

We will emphasize the importance of community-based knowledge in improving data quality for evidence-based policymaking and dealing with individual and group privacy. The event will also stimulate policy dialogue and knowledge sharing on the importance of housing and environmental conditions as a lever for alleviating poverty, improving developmental outcomes, generating economic growth, and climate adaptation. The key objectives (listed below) address the aforementioned major challenges in developing scalable and cohesive citizen-centred methods and tools for SDG 11.1:

1) Provide recommendations on how local communities and research networks can collaborate to monitor SDG 11.1 and, in general, spatial inequalities.
2) To gain insights into the role of geospatial tools in supporting good governance and evidence-based policy-making to support locally-driven digital innovation that promotes sustainable cities now and in the future.
3) To launch a federated network as an exchange platform between research and local users.

Session panelists

Panelist
Role
Organization
Country
Mr. Mikkel Harder
Mr
Slum Dwellers International (Know Your City Campaign)
Mr. Mario Kainga
Mr
Nairobi city county
Ms. Monika Kuffer
Mrs
IDEAMAPS Network
Mr. Marc Paganini
Mr
European Space Agency