Exploring the Presence of Urban Informality in Botswana: Case of Backyard Renting in Mogoditshane, Greater Gaborone

This research reflects on the contribution of urban planning legislative and regulatory frameworks to the emergence and growth of informal backyard rental housing in Mogoditshane, Botswana.

This research reflects on the contribution of urban planning legislative and regulatory frameworks to the emergence and growth of informal backyard rental housing in Mogoditshane, Botswana. The existence of supportive planning legislation is central to the realisation of inclusive settlements and spatial justice. It has been concluded that Botswana’s settlement planning legislation is elitist and exclusionary in nature and thus plays an important role in the creation of informal housing. Planning control measures, such as standards, procedures, and regulations, have been identified as contributing factors that hinder the urban poor from affording decent housing or meeting planning requirements.