Visualizing urban poverty to reshape community

Ana Cristina, gracias por el artículo, fue muy ilustrativo en el sentido de dar a conocer como una metodología puede demostrar el desarrollo de los asentamientos informales. En la ciudad de México hay avances con los mapas georeferenciados para visualizar en donde se encuentra la pobreza, no obstante aún existe una gran área de oportunidad para lograr entender en donde se ubican los asentamientos informales, las zonas de la ciudad con las que colindan, el número de población que albergan y la forma en la que la población se asienta. Cada una de los municipios del Distrito Federal menciona en su plan de desarrollo urbano los asentamientos que tiene y su ubicación; no obstante hay un gran hueco en la información disponible para poder dimensionar los grandes retos de este fenómeno para hacer una ciudad mas incluyente.

Hi, Ana Cristina,

Thank you for your article, it was very interesting. We know understanding the growth of informal settlements are essential to plan public policies and interventions and, as you and Maria Fernanda pointed, there's still a large gap between the information available and reality. Somehow, the barrios (in Brazil, our favelas) remain invisible in a way, they are considered for many as separated parts of the city. And that's how mapping projects like this go beyond in its importance, they are also inclusive by promoting the recognition by the residents and the general population of these living spaces as part of the city, not temporary, not (totally) forgotten settlements. As you pointed out, some of them are just as old as the city's first skyscrapers, and this recognition is very important.

Hi Wura,
Thanks for your article. I was reading it and found interesting this idea of "translating" public budgets and information, despite the problems you mentioned. Here in Brazil, this issue (having access to public spending) has gained prominence since 2011, when the Law of Access to Information was regulated (although this is a right foreseen in our Constitution since 1988), but I haven't seen anything like this come up, it's a new way of thinking / exploring the issue. I'm curious: is there any accompanying campaign also urging people to monitor government spending? In general, do you think there's a movement in Niger in this direction, in promoting citizen awareness of the their role as supervisors? Another thing: how the project is financed, who pays for it? :)

Hi Widya
Thanks for such interesting piece. It is important really to use the momentum and the youth interest in social media to use for something beneficial and useful as Peta Jakarta. I wish really to know if the finance stands behind this massive great project is also derived from civil society? I hope if the companies there practiced their corporate responsibility in order to fund the project somehow.. I wish to know about this really.
Great work.

Hi Carlin,
Thank you for your article, I really enjoyed it. I've been thinking a lot about garbage, about the huge production of trash in our daily lives, about recycling... and "I Got Garbage" seems to be a simple tool can be very effective – of course, as long as the the pickers have access to the technology, but that's another history. I see yet another positive aspect in this initiative: if each individual, in their houses, in their offices, start thinking better about where their waste is going, what is going to be made of it and start taking practical simple actions (like using this tool) to help with the collection (not just to deliver the bags to the servants who pick it up from their front doors – that's how it usually works in Brazil for the middle and upper classes)... if they somehow get involved in the process, they may also start thinking about producing less waste, opting for different forms of consuming, going to different kind of markets, reusing some packages... I think "I Got Garbage" can raise ecological awareness in those who do not think much about it, it can help to bring this subject to the routine of people. Although it seems that we made important progress in this direction in recent years (I think that's true), and that today people in general are more aware of the importance of preservation, surely we still have a long way to go. Thanks again, I'll have a careful look at the site :)

Maryam, I enjoyed your article on the efforts to map poverty in Iran and the reflection on some of the challenges faced in the process. In Kenya and elsewhere that I have seen efforts to map impoverished and vulnerable communities there is often a resistance from governing authorities. It is interesting to see that in this case they cite security of the community and I wonder if this is because it will provide a more accurate geography of service provision and gaps in their constituencies, which might reflect on their work directly or as a result of a desire to protect communities. I agree, mapping and visualizing poverty and vulnerability is an important step to targeting services efficiently and effectively to meet the needs of citizens.

Tam, it was encouraging to read your article on how student groups are work together with civil organizations to provide life saving and data based approaches to mapping the geography of risk in Ho Chi Minh. This is a really dynamic and proactive approach to emergency management that could provide lessons to fire departments and emergency responders in many contexts. Is this data and mapping made available to residents? It would be interesting to see if this work has encouraged building managers/owners to provide access to fire extinguishers or similar community fire posts that can be accessed quickly. How could city planners and fire fighters provide incentives to residents and landlords that might increase prevention and help decrease the frequency of fires.

I enjoyed your article and it definitely got me thinking about the importance of community engagement and how critical visualization can be to helping first responders access affected communities and provide services in an emergency.

Very interesting piece, Maryam. It made me think about the real (and perhaps hidden) aspects that the government takes into account when pointing an area as "in need of intervention". I`m curious about it because in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), for instance, government intervention plans usually addresses favelas (slums) that are located close to tourist attractions. In those cases the government makes an effort to improve living conditions and security in order to control the territory. In other words, those "upgrading plans" are mainly motivated by the outsiders fear and not by the hard life of favela dwellers.

Very interesting article Carlin. I wonder if there were any projects or any plans to use the transport movement pattern to solve traffic congestion. Movement patterns seem important in this dimension, I know it will be valuable for Lagos and probably the cost of traffic to the economy.

Map disadvantaged neighborhoods in African cities .
Disadvantaged neighborhoods are places of Insecurity , unsanitary , lack of infrastructure, area difficult to access, low enrollment and a total disengagement in government from the point that today it is difficult to find solutions to effectively respond to this population.

However, with the evolution of technology , it is necessary to use mapping and computer data in order to identify and effectively address the needs of this vulnerable population layer.
African leaders must leverage technology to gain in terms of speed and efficiency to provide answers to the problems of the population.
Mapping can help to estimate the population of a given area to meet the health infrastructure needs , education .