11.3 Informal Settlements and Slum Upgrading
2 min read•july 25, 2024
and are unplanned urban areas lacking legal land tenure and basic services. These communities face challenges like substandard housing, overcrowding, and limited access to water, sanitation, and healthcare, trapping residents in cycles of poverty and vulnerability.
Slum upgrading initiatives aim to improve living conditions through infrastructure development, housing renovations, and legal recognition. Participatory approaches engage communities in the process, ensuring interventions address local priorities and foster sustainable development, as seen in successful projects like Orangi in Karachi and Baan Mankong in Thailand.
Understanding Informal Settlements and Slums
Definition of informal settlements
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Top images from around the web for Definition of informal settlements
The Ethical Struggle to Be Human: A Shack Dwellers Movement in South Africa | Heinrich Böll ... View original
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Evaluating procedural modelling for 3D models of informal settlements in urban design activities View original
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Dar es Salaam Land Use and Informal Settlement (1982, 1992… | Flickr View original
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The Ethical Struggle to Be Human: A Shack Dwellers Movement in South Africa | Heinrich Böll ... View original
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- Unplanned residential areas emerge without official urban planning
- Lack of legal land tenure leads to insecure housing rights
- Non-compliance with building regulations results in substandard structures
- Often located on marginal land (floodplains, steep hillsides)
- Characterized by self-built housing using salvaged materials
Living conditions in slums
- Substandard housing conditions expose residents to environmental hazards
- Overcrowding amplifies health risks and social tensions
- Inadequate access to basic services hampers quality of life
- Limited clean water availability increases waterborne diseases
- Poor sanitation facilities lead to open defecation and contamination
- Unreliable electricity supply hinders economic activities and education
- Health risks proliferate due to lack of healthcare facilities
- Environmental hazards include landslides, floods, and fire risks
- Limited employment opportunities trap residents in poverty cycles
- Informal sector dominance leaves workers vulnerable to exploitation
- Crime and insecurity create atmosphere of fear and mistrust
- Limited access to education perpetuates intergenerational poverty
Importance of slum upgrading
- Infrastructure development improves access to water, sanitation, and electricity
- Housing renovations enhance structural integrity and living conditions
- Increased property values create wealth for residents
- Enhanced economic opportunities through improved connectivity and services
- Improved health outcomes reduce burden on healthcare systems
- Better access to education breaks cycle of poverty
- Reduced pollution through proper waste management systems
- Improved waste management minimizes environmental degradation
- Legal recognition of land tenure provides security and investment incentives
- Inclusion in urban planning processes integrates settlements into formal city systems
Effectiveness of participatory approaches
- Community engagement ensures interventions address local priorities
- Local knowledge incorporation leads to contextually appropriate solutions
- Skills development for residents enhances employability and self-reliance
- Empowerment of community leaders builds sustainable local governance
- Increased ownership and maintenance of improvements ensures longevity
- Long-term community investment fosters continued development
- Balancing diverse stakeholder interests requires skilled facilitation
- Overcoming power imbalances necessitates equitable representation
- Improved living conditions measured through health and well-being indicators
- Enhanced strengthens
- Successful examples (Orangi Pilot Project in Karachi, Baan Mankong in Thailand)
- Lessons learned emphasize importance of flexibility and cultural sensitivity
Key Terms to Review (19)
Community participation: Community participation refers to the active involvement of local residents in decision-making processes and development initiatives that affect their lives. This engagement empowers individuals and groups, ensuring that their voices are heard and considered in projects aimed at improving their communities. It emphasizes collaboration among stakeholders, leading to more sustainable and effective outcomes in various development contexts.
Community resilience: Community resilience is the ability of a community to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and adapt to adverse events such as natural disasters, economic shifts, or social upheavals. This concept emphasizes the importance of social networks, local knowledge, and resources in fostering a supportive environment that enhances a community's capacity to withstand challenges and rebound stronger.
Eco-friendly building materials: Eco-friendly building materials are sustainable construction materials that minimize environmental impact and promote energy efficiency. These materials are sourced responsibly, often from renewable resources, and can help reduce the carbon footprint of construction projects. Their use is particularly vital in informal settlements and slum upgrading, where improving living conditions and sustainability can lead to better community resilience and health outcomes.
Green infrastructure: Green infrastructure refers to a network of natural and semi-natural systems that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits by managing stormwater, enhancing biodiversity, and improving air quality. This approach integrates nature into urban planning to create resilient communities and support sustainable development, addressing challenges such as urbanization and climate change while also promoting healthier living spaces.
Housing insecurity: Housing insecurity refers to the lack of stable, safe, and affordable housing, which can lead to frequent moves, overcrowding, or homelessness. It reflects broader socio-economic issues, including poverty and lack of access to resources, and is often exacerbated by factors like unemployment and rising housing costs. Addressing housing insecurity is crucial for improving living conditions and promoting social equity.
Incremental housing: Incremental housing is a flexible housing strategy that allows residents to gradually improve and expand their homes over time, often starting with basic structures and adding features as resources become available. This approach is particularly effective in informal settlements where residents may lack access to formal housing markets and financial resources. By enabling homeowners to build incrementally, it supports community engagement, self-reliance, and the gradual upgrading of living conditions.
Informal economy: The informal economy refers to economic activities that are not regulated by the government or covered by formal labor laws. This includes a wide range of work such as street vending, unregistered small businesses, and casual labor. The informal economy plays a significant role in providing livelihoods, especially in developing countries, and is often a crucial aspect of rural and urban life.
Informal settlements: Informal settlements are unplanned, often illegal communities that arise in urban areas, typically characterized by inadequate housing, lack of basic services, and insecure land tenure. These settlements emerge as a response to rapid urbanization and population growth, where low-income individuals and families seek affordable housing but often face challenges related to infrastructure and governance.
Land tenure regularization: Land tenure regularization refers to the process of formally recognizing and securing land rights for individuals or communities, especially in informal settlements. This process often involves legalizing land claims, issuing titles or certificates, and providing a framework for land governance. Regularization plays a crucial role in improving the living conditions of residents in informal settlements by providing them with legal security, which can lead to better access to services, infrastructure, and economic opportunities.
Microfinance initiatives: Microfinance initiatives are financial services aimed at providing low-income individuals or groups with access to small loans, savings, and other financial products to support entrepreneurship and alleviate poverty. These initiatives empower marginalized populations, often in developing countries, by promoting self-sufficiency and economic growth. They play a critical role in transforming informal settlements and addressing gender disparities in economic development.
Shantytowns: Shantytowns are informal settlements that typically arise on the outskirts of urban areas, characterized by substandard housing and inadequate access to basic services such as water, sanitation, and electricity. These communities often emerge due to rapid urbanization and population growth, where low-income families seek affordable housing options but find themselves in precarious living conditions. The existence of shantytowns highlights the challenges of urban planning and social inequality in many developing regions.
Slum Rehabilitation Programs: Slum rehabilitation programs are initiatives aimed at improving the living conditions in informal settlements and slums, focusing on upgrading housing, infrastructure, and access to basic services. These programs often involve a combination of community participation, government support, and private investment to revitalize areas while addressing social and economic challenges faced by residents. The goal is to create sustainable and livable environments for people living in these marginalized communities.
Slums: Slums are densely populated urban areas characterized by substandard housing and inadequate infrastructure, often arising due to rapid urbanization and poverty. These neighborhoods typically lack essential services such as clean water, sanitation, and electricity, leading to significant social and health challenges for their residents. Slums are often informally built, with residents having little to no legal rights to the land they occupy.
Social cohesion: Social cohesion refers to the strength of relationships and the sense of solidarity among members of a community or society. It encompasses the bonds that unite people, fostering trust, belonging, and collective identity. Social cohesion plays a crucial role in addressing inequality, promoting community resilience, and enhancing overall quality of life.
Spatial Planning: Spatial planning refers to the process of determining the most effective and sustainable use of land and resources in a given area. It aims to organize and manage spatial relationships between different activities, ensuring that urban development and land use are balanced with environmental considerations, social equity, and economic efficiency. Through strategic decision-making, spatial planning plays a crucial role in addressing issues related to informal settlements and slum upgrading.
Sustainable Development Goals: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action adopted by the United Nations in 2015, consisting of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a 'blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all' by 2030. These goals address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice, providing a framework for countries to promote prosperity while protecting the planet.
UN-Habitat: UN-Habitat is the United Nations agency responsible for promoting sustainable urban development and improving living conditions in cities, particularly in developing countries. It aims to provide leadership and encourage partnerships to achieve adequate shelter for all and sustainable urbanization, addressing the challenges posed by rapid urban growth, informal settlements, and slums.
Urban poverty: Urban poverty refers to the condition in which individuals and families living in urban areas experience a lack of essential resources, including income, education, and basic services. This form of poverty often leads to marginalized living conditions, affecting access to housing, healthcare, and employment opportunities, and is frequently exacerbated by rapid urbanization and socio-economic disparities.
Urban Regeneration: Urban regeneration refers to the process of revitalizing and redeveloping urban areas that have experienced decline or neglect, aiming to improve the overall quality of life for residents and enhance economic activity. This process often includes upgrading infrastructure, housing, and public spaces, and typically involves community engagement to ensure that local needs and preferences are addressed. Successful urban regeneration can lead to sustainable development by creating vibrant neighborhoods and fostering social inclusion.