Cities have a long tradition; they exist since thousands of years. They have always had attractive power to mankind. 200 years ago just a small proportion of men was living in cities. Today nearly three billions of people live in urban areas - this is the half of the total world population - and it is estimated by international institutions like UN or World Bank, that this number will go on growing. With an increasing number of people living in cities several problems do come up. One very - maybe the most - important problem is housing the urban poor in the mega-cities of the developing world.
Tipple/Willis (1991: 1) argue that
"Housing the poor in the developing world is one of the major challenges facing mankind in the last decade of the twentieth century".
my opinion, this challenge does still exist in the twenty-first century. And this challenge does not only exist in the developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America but also in the industrialised world, like the USA or the European countries, although the problems in these countries are by far not so tremendous and apparent. Who does not know Harlem in New York? Everybody knows that there are bad living conditions. But what are the problems of the people living in Harlem compared with the problems of the inhabitants of slums and squatter areas in the developing world.
To cite Tipple/Willis (1991: 1) once more:
"The major housing problem is the shortage of affordable accommodation for the urban poor; the low-income majority".
There have been many official housing programs to provide more housing possibilities or to improve the existing housings - especially in the countries of the Third World -, but none of them have been successful at all. All these programs were unable to provide enough dwellings; the history of housing construction programs has shown that all measures need substantial resources, cities often do not have.
This paper wants to show the problems concerning housing the urban poor in the developing world and why these problems arise. After this more general introduction I will concentrate upon squatter-settlements in the Third World. Within this part I will point out some of the housing programs, which were used to solve the immense problems with housing the poor in the mega-cities.
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. General problems with the housing of the urban poor
1. Migration to cities
2. Social differences
3. The urban land market
4. The urban housing market
5. Different nations, different names for the same problem
6. United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT)
3. The squatter-settlements of Third World countries
1. What are squatter-settlements?
2. Common characteristics of squatters and squatter areas all over the world
3. The advantages of squatter-settlements
4. The organisation of squatter areas
5. Why governments do not like squatter-settlements
6. Possible solutions to the problems of urban squatter areas
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper explores the critical challenges of housing the urban poor within mega-cities in the developing world, analyzing the socio-economic factors driving urban migration and the emergence of informal settlements. The primary research goal is to understand why conventional government housing policies have largely failed and to evaluate the effectiveness of various intervention strategies, such as self-help and upgrading programs.
- Causes of rural-to-urban migration and its impact on urban infrastructure.
- Economic and social mechanisms of the urban land and housing markets.
- Defining and characterizing informal squatter-settlements in the Third World.
- Analyzing the governance and organizational structures within squatter areas.
- Critique of historical government interventions and potential sustainable solutions.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2. Common characteristics of squatters and squatter areas all over the world
Most of the squatters stem from the urban hinterland. The migrants are often urged to move to the cities due to the poverty and the bad economic and medical situation of the urban hinterland. Their first step into their new life in the city leads them into worse neighbourhoods – the squatter areas. As many young families from the urban hinterland move to the cities the average age of the squatter inhabitants is low. Many of the households are female-headed households, as many women are either left alone by their men or are divorced.
As squatting is illegal, all the squatters live in the fear that they could be urged to leave. Squatters settle, where there is free space in a city, but they are not the owners of this space, the space is either government or private property. There are squatter-settlements along railway lines, near harbours or rubbish tips. The great squatter areas can be found on the outskirts of the cities; many of these areas are accumulations of primitive shanties. The shanties are build with cheap material, like loam, banana or tea boxes, cardboard, cloth, wood, corrugated iron and bricks.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the global trend of urbanization and introduces the central problem of housing the urban poor in developing mega-cities.
2. General problems with the housing of the urban poor: This section examines the underlying causes of housing shortages, including migration patterns, socio-economic disparities, and the dynamics of urban land and housing markets.
3. The squatter-settlements of Third World countries: This chapter provides an in-depth analysis of informal settlements, covering their characteristics, organizational forms, government conflicts, and various mitigation strategies.
4. Conclusion: This summary reflects on the necessity of affordable land policies and the potential for international assistance in improving living conditions for the urban poor.
Keywords
Mega-cities, Urbanization, Squatter-settlements, Third World, Housing policy, Urban migration, Informal sector, Poverty reduction, Self-help, Land market, HABITAT, Infrastructure, Social segregation, Upgrading programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on the critical housing challenges faced by the urban poor in mega-cities throughout the developing world.
What are the central thematic fields addressed?
The work covers rural-to-urban migration, the functioning of urban land and housing markets, the emergence of squatter-settlements, and the history of government-led housing policies.
What is the research goal?
The study aims to identify the root causes of the urban housing crisis and examine why previous public housing programs have frequently failed to meet the needs of the low-income population.
Which methodology is employed?
The author uses a literature-based analysis of urban development theories, economic land market definitions, and case examples of institutional approaches to human settlements.
What does the main body cover?
The main body details the dynamics of urban growth, defines informal settlements (squatter-settlements), discusses their unique social and physical organization, and evaluates strategies like self-help and upgrading.
Which keywords best describe this study?
Core keywords include mega-cities, squatter-settlements, urban poverty, informal housing, and sustainable development policy.
How does the author define the "thika-system"?
The thika-system is presented as an example of hierarchical organization in Calcutta, where a custodian manages land for owners, effectively rendering squatting semi-legal through fees.
Why do traditional slum clearance strategies often fail?
The author argues that clearance destroys existing social structures and living conditions without providing viable alternatives, often leading the displaced population to re-squat elsewhere.
- Citation du texte
- Marc Landherr (Auteur), 2001, Housing the urban poor in the mega-cities of the developing world, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/6400
