Background

There are many reasons why informal settlements exist and why people establish and develop them. In addition to being vulnerable to pollution, overcrowding and poor waste management, residents in informal settlements are also excluded from basic service delivery like water supply, waste removal, adequate sanitation and emergency services (ambulances and fire brigades).

Having no formal address makes it practically impossible for an ambulance or police squad to reach those in need. Lack of addressing also affects the economic growth and sustainability of township economies, as small business owners rely on networking for survival and find it difficult to get business support from larger suppliers. They cannot connect to the larger network of entrepreneurs or advertise their businesses beyond word of mouth.

A digital solution

Digital addressing is an innovative intervention that Planact has developed in collaboration with Google Earth, to contribute to solving the problem of informal settlements being excluded from municipal development planning. Known as ‘Plus Codes’, allocating informal settlement residents with a unique digital address making them instantly locatable and reachable.

About Planact

Planact was established in 1985 as a voluntary association of professionals who came together to assist community organisations to propose and advocate for alternative development plans to those of the apartheid regime, and then to facilitate a civic voice in policy development processes during the transition to democracy. Planact continues its work today in the strong traditions it has established, in support of its mission: to support and mobilise community processes that enhance good governance at the local level to improve people’s habitable environment in ways that alleviate poverty.

How is digital addressing done?

The addressing is done by uploading the digital address allocated to each household in a particular settlement onto the Google Earth platform, used by most delivery and global positioning systems. Each dwelling is given a metal plate with the address coordinates so that service providers can match the data on Google Earth

‘Plus Codes’ provide access to vital services to thousands of families from fast food delivery to ambulances. In addition to this benefit, informal settlement residents are able to work with their respective local government authorities around the challenges of providing basic municipal safety and social amenity services.

Intervention

Digital addressing is an inclusive process that involves internal and external stakeholders. The process starts with a community mapping out and drawing the settlement, marking important landmarks and communal spaces. Once the community has completed their map, community volunteers are trained how to use the addressing software. Community participants are then trained to use the Address Maker application and how to address different types of structures within the settlements.

Community participants then move through their settlement, addressing the homes of residents while raising awareness on the addressing campaign. These new addresses are then submitted to Google to be verified and placed onto the Google Earth platform where they accessible to the general public. Once verified, metal address boards are produced and secured to homes, businesses, and other spaces around the community. User guides and tutorials are developed and made available to community members so they can start using and sharing their new addresses.

Selected public service providers are also notified and trained how to use these addresses to arrive at emergency situations. The relevant municipality also receives the updated map produced by the community through the digital addressing process.

Specific outcomes

The outcome of this project is an attempt to integrate informal settlements into the larger urban fabric of cities. Digital addresses also create virtual visibility for informal settlements so that they too can participate in technological advancements (like high speed internet fibre), which forms part of everyday life.

The digital visibility also gives residents of informal settlements access to goods and services that can be purchased online, and delivered to their Plus Codes. In addition to online deliveries, e-hailing transport services can also be accessed.

Community safety is also improved as women and other vulnerable community members can be dropped off at their homes, instead of making their way through the settlement in the dark. The added safety aspect also increases the efficiency and accuracy of police reports in the settlement as a Plus Code will lead the police directly to the scene. Ambulances and other emergency services can now make their way directly to an incident, rather than wasting time getting lost in the settlement or waiting for the injured to be brought to the main road.

Local economic development is set to see a boost with the introduction of digital addresses. New business and micro enterprises can now take advantage of the internet. Small businesses can now advertise online to more consumers and grow their enterprises. Existing businesses also benefit as they are able to work with more suppliers that can actively deliver good straight to their stores.

How SEF participants will be involved in the project

24 participants from the Tjovitjo informal settlement in Ennerdale South, Johannesburg will be taught Geographic Information System (GIS) skills to generate Plus Codes addresses for their residential areas.

Participants will be supported to develop a settlement layout map of their community. They will be trained to use Google’s open source mapping software to generate Plus Codes, and install in each dwelling in the settlement. This project will build interpersonal and technical skills for young people, who will earn a stipend for this temporary work.

Digital inclusion for people living in informal settlements is a critical component in spatial planning. The City of Johannesburg’s development planning has welcomed this initiative, which will assist their planning processes for informal settlements. The City of Johannesburg is seeing an opportunity for digital addresses to be used for transport route mapping, small enterprise promotion and the provision of emergency services.