Neftaly: Urban Safety Planning — Informal Settlements as a Key Focus

Introduction

Urban safety planning plays a crucial role in shaping inclusive, resilient, and secure cities. Yet, in many parts of the world, informal settlements are left out of urban safety strategies, despite housing a significant portion of urban populations. At Neftaly, we advocate for putting informal settlements at the center of urban safety planning—not at the margins.

Why Informal Settlements Must Be a Key Focus

Informal settlements are rapidly expanding due to urban migration, housing shortages, and rising inequality. However, their exclusion from formal urban planning creates a range of safety risks:

• Disaster vulnerability (flooding, landslides, fires)
• Crime and insecurity
• Unsafe building practices
• Health hazards due to poor sanitation and overcrowding
• Limited access to emergency services

Ignoring these areas in safety planning is not just a development issue—it’s a public safety crisis.

Key Urban Safety Risks in Informal Settlements

1. Environmental Hazards: Settlements are often built on unstable land or flood-prone areas without proper infrastructure.
2. Fire Risks: Closely built structures, flammable materials, and lack of firefighting access increase the risk of devastating fires.
3. Crime and Violence: Lack of formal policing, poor street lighting, and social exclusion contribute to insecurity.
4. Infrastructure Deficits: Without proper roads, drainage, and safe housing, everyday life in informal areas remains perilous.
5. Emergency Response Gaps: Narrow alleys and unplanned layouts delay or prevent access to ambulances and emergency services.

Integrating Informal Settlements into Urban Safety Planning

Neftaly proposes the following strategies:

1. Inclusive Policy Frameworks

National and local urban safety policies must explicitly include informal settlements as priority zones for action and investment.

2. Community-Led Safety Mapping

Engage residents in identifying safety risks and co-developing locally appropriate solutions using participatory methods.

3. Flexible and Risk-Aware Planning Tools

Adapt urban planning tools (e.g. zoning, building codes, infrastructure planning) to reflect the realities and constraints of informal living environments.

4. Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness

Provide training, early warning systems, and resilient infrastructure to protect residents from natural hazards.

5. Integrated Urban Upgrading

Combine safety improvements with basic service delivery—such as sanitation, lighting, roads, and drainage—to reduce risks across the board.

6. Improved Security and Policing

Support community policing initiatives that respect local dynamics and work in partnership with residents to prevent crime and violence.

The Benefits of Prioritizing Informal Settlements

• Stronger, safer cities overall — Urban safety is interlinked.
• Reduced disaster response costs — Prevention saves resources.
• Improved public health and quality of life — Safety improvements yield broader well-being.
• Empowered communities — Participation builds trust and ownership.

Conclusion

Informal settlements are not temporary anomalies—they are a permanent feature of our urban future. Neftaly urges governments, planners, and stakeholders to prioritize these communities in all urban safety efforts. True urban safety means leaving no neighborhood behind.