What question did this study set out to answer?

To examine how urban governance and political agendas shape state responses to different forms of housing densification, contrasting informal backyard rentals with formal public-private partnerships.

April 3, 2026disP - The Planning ReviewOpen Access

Backyards and big projects: the politics of densification in South African low income housing

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To examine how urban governance and political agendas shape state responses to different forms of housing densification, contrasting informal backyard rentals with formal public-private partnerships.
Conducted multi-year qualitative field work in Gauteng, South Africa.
Evaluated governance responses, market viability, and tenant conditions across small-scale entrepreneurial rental units and large-scale public-private housing developments.
Small-scale entrepreneurial backyard rentals effectively provide market-demanded, decent accommodation but face fragmented and inconsistent state support.
Large-scale public-private partnerships remain the state's favored densification strategy despite generating persistent management problems and poor post-occupancy quality of life.

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Implication

Qualitative field study reveals state preference for mega-projects over informal backyard rentals in low-income housing, suggesting planning policies prioritize state ideology over shelter needs.

Cite This Study

Rubin et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a86a1d8d1c1904b4a544e51 https://doi.org/10.1080/02513625.2026.2658956

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Implication

Qualitative field study reveals state preference for mega-projects over informal backyard rentals in low-income housing, suggesting planning policies prioritize state ideology over shelter needs.

Backyards and big projects: the politics of densification in South African low income housing

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Backyards and big projects: the politics of densification in South African low income housing

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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