Transforming Slums into Sustainable Communities: Strategic Prioritization of SDGs Using the Analytic Network Process

This doctoral research addresses sustainable slum developments (SSD) by examining how the prioritization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through active community participation can guide inclusive and lasting transformation. Slums, often marginalized in mainstream urban planning, are reconceptualized here as complex, enduring components of cities with distinct socio-economic, cultural, environmental and spatial characteristics. While challenges such as insecure land tenure, environmental risks, infrastructure deficits, and economic exclusion persist, this study argues that transformative outcomes are possible when development strategies are informed by local knowledge and grounded in participatory governance.
Drawing from a critical analysis of decades of policy reports, academic literature, and real-world interventions, the research highlights that slum upgrading efforts—though long attempted—have largely failed or proved unsustainable. A core reason identified is the persistent neglect of slum dwellers’ voices in decision-making processes. In response, this thesis aims to build bridges between communities, experts, and decision-makers by promoting participatory frameworks that center they lived experiences of slum residents as essential to sustainable outcomes.
This thesis also seeks to establish a clear connection between SSD and the SDGs by mapping their overlapping goals and showing how the SDGs can serve both as a conceptual framework and as a tool for addressing the multidimensional challenges faced by slum communities.
To analyze this, the study employs a mixed-method research design, combining qualitative insights from community engagement with quantitative prioritization using the Analytic Network Process (ANP). The research centers on two case studies: Stjwetla informal settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Tork Mahale (Turkish neighborhood) in Sari, Iran. Both represent distinct urban contexts yet share overlapping struggles related to marginalization, service delivery gaps, and limited community agency. Using stakeholder surveys and ANP modeling, the study identifies the most urgent local challenges and aligns them with SDG targets. The results underscore the interdependence of goals such as SDG 1 - No Poverty SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG 13 - Climate Action highlighting the need for an integrated policy approach.
This thesis further emphasizes that slums are not isolated pockets of deprivation but self-perpetuating systems that interact with broader urban dynamics, affecting the city at large—not only the residents within. Therefore, slum development must be prioritized within wider urban planning and policy agendas. A key contribution of the study is the development of a structured decision-making framework that links global sustainability objectives to context-specific realities. The study shows that SSD cannot be achieved through isolated infrastructure projects or external interventions alone; it requires co-created, participatory models that empower communities to become active agents of change.
Ultimately, this thesis aims to contribute to sustainable slum development that is both genuine and lasting, by aligning community-driven priorities with the broader vision of the SDGs, ensuring that informal settlements are not left behind in the pursuit of inclusive and resilient urban futures.