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.

1 minute read

June 1, 2011, 10:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


In this piece from Citiwire, Anthony Flint summarizes the report, and highlights the mixed successes of the two dominant approaches to legitimizing informal settlements.

"What is known as the "regularization" of informal settlement has taken two major forms: legalizing parcels by awarding the occupants titles to the property as exemplified in Peru, and Brazil's broader approach that combines titling with extensive upgrading of public services.

Both approaches have had an impact. But a report recently published by the Lincoln Institute, Regularization of Informal Settlements in Latin America, suggests that these efforts are very much a work in progress. Titling by itself is relatively inexpensive but has not triggered neighborhood improvements, while upgrading is much more costly and can stimulate additional irregular development by those hoping to benefit from future upgrading."

Thursday, May 26, 2011 in Citiwire

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