From Closed to Claimed Spaces for Participation: Contestation in Urban Redevelopment Induced- Displacements and Resettlement in Kigali, Rwanda

This research analysed community participation in resettlement projects induced by both urban redevelopment projects and the disaster risk mitigation relocation policies. We looked at the practices of local authorities and the reactions of the affected informal settlement dwellers in Kigali, Rwanda. The research used primary and secondary data. The primary data were collected through focus group discussions, field observation and interviews of both key informants and the head of households in two study areas: Kangondo and Mpazi sites. The secondary data include local media resources ( news articles and online video) that reported on the two cases, national laws and regulations related to resettlement of informal households.

Urban redevelopment;land acquisition;expropriation;induced-displacement;resettlement;spaces for participation; compensation, right claiming, contestation, Kigali