Search Climate Insights Directory

This policy brief by GreenCape examines the human capital requirements for successful participatory co-design in urban communities, specifically focusing on building resilience in informal settlements in Cape Town. It argues that the success of community-led service delivery depends on 'project drivers'—facilitators who possess specific core values, personality traits, and professional skills to navigate complex social dynamics and bridge education and language gaps.

This policy brief by GreenCape explores 'resilient urbanism' through a 'data and domain' approach, which combines community-led enumeration (shared data) with asset-based community participation (participatory co-design). Using a case study of the Alternative Service Delivery Unit (ASDU) in Cape Town's informal settlements, the document demonstrates how this dual approach can identify community priorities and implement sustainable, alternative service delivery models, specifically in the energy sector.