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The Cities. A l l i a n c e. A G LOBAL P ARTNERSHIP W ITH C ITIES TO M EET THE C HALLENGE OF P RO -P OOR P OLICIES AND P ROSPEROUS C ITIES W ITHOUT S LUMS. www.citiesalliance.org. W HY F OCUS ON U RBAN P OOR?. W HAT DO WE KNOW OF URBAN POVERTY ?.
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The Cities A l l i a n c e A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP WITH CITIESTO MEETTHE CHALLENGEOF PRO-POOR POLICIESAND PROSPEROUS CITIES WITHOUT SLUMS www.citiesalliance.org
WHY FOCUS ON URBAN POOR? WHAT DO WE KNOW OF URBAN POVERTY? WHAT DO WE KNOW OF SLUM UPGRADING?
The Challenge of the New Urban Poor In the next 15 years, many cities in Africa and Asia will nearly double in population. United Nations, “World Urbanization Prospects,” 1999 revision.
The Challenge of the New Urban Poor • Out of the statistical data and into the slums • Who are these new urban residents ? • More than half will be born in cities • The balance will be poor migrants in search of a better life
The Challenge of the New Urban Poor The urban poor are trapped in an informal, illegal world Slums not reflected on maps often situated on marginal and dangerous land taxes are not paid public services are not provided. Officially, often, they do not exist Their “local authorities” are usually the slumlords or local mafia
The Challenge of the New Urban Poor The Paradox : the growth of poverty : increasingly, the greatest global challenge is being managed at thelocal level
The Challenge of the New Urban Poor The new urban poor Where will they live? Which land should they use? Which schools will their children go to? Where will they get their water? How will their rubbish be collected? Where should they vote? Who will protect them?
The Challenge of the New Urban Poor These are difficult questions, but there are answers The problem is that many cities are not asking these questions
Why focus on the urban poor? • They merit the basic rights of urban citizens • They save with and borrow from each other • They build their own shelter • They create their own networks when formal institutions fail to serve them • The urban poor are a key part of the solution
The Potential of Partnership “. . . what we are now seeing. . . is that the poor have done much more for themselves than what we can actually do for them. For example, what the poor in Egypt have (in assets) is about 100 times more than all the foreign aid that they received in the last 50 years.” . . . The entrepreneurial ingenuity of the poor has created wealth on a vast scale – wealth that also constitutes by far the largest source of potential capital for development.” -Hernando DeSoto. The Mystery of Capital.
The Cities A l l i a n c e What do we know of urban poverty ? www.citiesalliance.org
Livelihoods, income and occupation Assets, savings and possessions Insecurity Support and dependency Ill health Alcohol abuse Debt
Livelihoods, income and occupation Assets, savings and possessions Insecurity Support and dependency Ill health Alcohol abuse Debt
Livelihoods, income and occupation Assets, savings and possessions Insecurity Support and dependency Ill health Alcohol abuse Debt
The Cities A l l i a n c e A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP WITH CITIESTO MEETTHE CHALLENGEOF PRO-POOR POLICIESAND PROSPEROUS CITIES WITHOUT SLUMS www.citiesalliance.org
The Cities A l l i a n c e What have we learnt about slum upgrading in India ? www.citiesalliance.org
The Cities Slums A l l i a n c e Definition 1. Not all slum dwellers are poor 2. Not all poor live in slums 3. Slum dwellers play a vital role in the economy www.citiesalliance.org
The Cities Slums A l l i a n c e Definition 4. Often defined by land ownership 5. Densely populated, “under-serviced” settlements irrespective of land ownership www.citiesalliance.org
The Cities Slum Upgrading A l l i a n c e Basic Services : • Water supply • Sanitation • Access : roads / pathways • Drainage • Solid waste management • Street Lighting, preferably electricity connections www.citiesalliance.org
The Cities Slum Upgrading A l l i a n c e Lessons learnt to date : 1. One dollar spent on slum upgrading is multiplied many fold 2. All residents benefit from improved services: both the poor and the less-poor 3. Need to consider maintenance of services up front www.citiesalliance.org
The Cities Slum Upgrading A l l i a n c e Lessons learnt to date : 4. In-situ upgrading is preferable 5. Relocation should only be considered in completely “untenable” situations www.citiesalliance.org
The Cities Slum Upgrading A l l i a n c e Lessons learnt to date : 6. For maximum impact some degree of tenure security is vital …. then www.citiesalliance.org
The Cities Slum Upgrading A l l i a n c e Lessons learnt to date : 7. … provide basic services and … housing will follow ... www.citiesalliance.org
The Cities Slum Upgrading A l l i a n c e Lessons learnt to date : 8. Fully involve the community 9. Open “space” for dialogue with authorities 10. WIN - WIN situations are becoming much more common www.citiesalliance.org
The Cities A l l i a n c e A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP WITH CITIESTO MEETTHE CHALLENGEOF PRO-POOR POLICIESAND PROSPEROUS CITIES WITHOUT SLUMS www.citiesalliance.org
The Cities A l l i a n c e How many uses are there for a road? www.citiesalliance.org
The Cities A l l i a n c e • Use as a pavement to sort rubbish • Play area for children • Location and depot for cycle taxis • Bed : to sleep on when it is hot • Spare room for guests to sleep • Base for tent for festivals • Site for hawkers to use • Dry place to sit in the cool breeze • Relatives are now able to visit • Site for drying and washing clothes • Run off for waste water • Door to door hire purchase now available • Allow daily collection for loans and savings • Use for social functions like marriages and festivals