The challenge and potential of informal settlements
The United Nations estimates that more than 860 million people are currently living in urban slums! On the one hand, the proportion of people in slums today is lower than it was a decade ago. Yet the absolute number continues to climb. The proliferation of informal settlements demonstrates vividly the failure of cities to keep pace with urban growth.
The New Urban Agenda should provide a framework through which crucial urban activities and investments are seen in relation to each other, with informal settlements as a centrepiece. Informal settlements can be both catalyst and vehicle for the achievement of greater inclusiveness while fostering innovation, creating jobs and developing social capital.
[Read article at Citiscope website]
