Slums

A New Kind of Planning for a New Kind of Africa

Ernest Harsch interviews UN-Habitat Director Joan Clos on the challenges facing African cities in an age of unprecedented urbanization, from the abundance of slums to the threat of natural disasters.

June 27, 2012 - Independent Online

The Changing Face of Urbanism in India

Neha Thirani speaks with Rahul Mehrotra, urban planner and chairman of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, about the challenges facing "emerging India," including its parasitic gated communities, preservation, and 392 "urban time bombs."

May 18, 2012 - The New York Times India Ink blog

Facing Crises in Urban Life, Nigeria Keeps On Growing

Unlike Asia and South America, sub-Saharan Africa did not see birthrates fall in the second half of the 20th century. As a result, urban life in Nigeria heralds the challenges facing an increasingly populous planet, Elisabeth Rosenthal reports.

April 18, 2012 - The New York Times

Is Public Outreach Enough to Overhaul India's Slums?

Mukta Naik, a consulting planner with Indian housing firm micro Home Solutions, discovers that grand plans for a 'slum-free India' missed the mark on one key point: the lives of slum dwellers.

March 16, 2012 - The Global Urbanist

Towards a Right to Space

Kerwin Datu reflects on the implications of treating the world's diverse mixed-use slums as residential only enclaves.

January 18, 2012 - The Global Urbanist

The Paradox of India's Informal Slum Economy

This piece from The New York Times goes inside the economic powerhouse of Mumbai's Dharavi slum to profile the informality that both troubles it and brings it prosperity.

January 1, 2012 - The New York Times

Housing Guarantee Planned for Families in Mumbai Slums

Pending government approval, state housing department plans to grant all slum-dwelling families in Mumbai houses may become reality. The houses are free for families settled prior to 1995.

November 30, 2011 - The Times Of India

Africa's Urban Harvest

Faced with climate change and poverty, Africans are focusing on a new farming frontier: the cities.

November 28, 2011 - OnEarth

Condemnation and Cohesion in the Slums of Manila

The slums are either a socially cohesive neighborhoods or a major problem -- depending on who you are. This exploration into the slums of Manila show the disconnect between the people and the government about the slums and their future.

August 18, 2011 - New Statesman

Are Slums "Cohesive, Sustainable" and "Here to Stay?"

Paul Mason takes a tour of Manila's 10-year-old Estero de San Miguel slum to test the theory that slums have upsides and finds that understanding the question's realities is as important as trying to find the answer.

August 16, 2011 - BBC

Easy Zoning and Emergent Urbanism

The emergent urbanism of informal settlements has posed problems to governments in the Third World, and some are looking to address equality issues by issuing land titles. But one approach skips the titles and focuses on simple zoning.

July 10, 2011 - Old Urbanist

The Challenges of Legitimizing Informal Settlements

Informal settlements like slums and favelas have been perplexing governments in Latin America for decades. A new report looks at two of the ways governments are addressing these areas, and the challenges that remain.

June 1, 2011 - Citiwire

Slum Appreciation Misguided

The slums of the world's megacities have been the subject of much admiration among urban thinkers recently. Joel Kotkin argues that adulation is misguided.

April 5, 2011 - New Geography

The World's Water-Smart Cities

This collection of city profiles looks at cities around the world that are making major improvements to the way they handle and provide water.

March 24, 2011 - National Geographic

Rio de Janeiro Residents Protest Olympics Projects

As the city of Rio de Janeiro prepares to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, residents there say many of the projects underway are violating their rights.

February 26, 2011 - The Globe and Mail

Future Slums May Be Suburbs of Today

An Australian report finds that suburbs in Australia may be on the path to slum status if the country's oil addiction is not resisted.

February 16, 2011 - Treehugger

The Urbanism of Making Do

Communities in the slums of India are well known for "making do". A new exhibit looks at how that spirit of innovation and adaptation plays out in these cities and how other cities can learn from them.

February 14, 2011 - The Architect's Newspaper

Prince Charles Plans Shanty Town for India

Prince Charles is planning to build a 15,000-person shanty town in India, modeled after Dharavi, the Mumbai settlement featured in the movie "Slumdog Millionaire".

January 14, 2011 - Daily Mail

How Squatters Will Help Shape the Future

In this piece, Stewart Brand argues that squatter cities will grow greatly over the next few decades, and the world will be better because of it.

January 11, 2011 - What Matters

Rio's Slums to See Massive Redesign

Ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, officials in Rio de Janeiro are taking on a massive upgrade project in the city's slums.

December 8, 2010 - Guardian

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