Author: urbim

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By Graham Perkins, the Marketing Partnerships Manager at Favela Experience, a social enterprise that provides immersive and affordable room and apartment rentals for travelers in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas.

The trend towards experiential travel will be the major force shaping the future of the travel industry, and there is significant potential to create sustainable travel economies in developing nations with the rise in popularity of this form of travel. All one needs to do is look at the rise of sites such as Yelp and Lonely Planet to understand that people no longer necessarily want what is easy to access and convenient, but seek unique attractions that make travel more varied and interesting. The ability for an individual to post and give feedback on their experience at a particular attraction is one major reason for the growing usage of these types of services. Instead of getting a sales pitch, online users feel they can get honest commentary from experienced travelers. The travel service Airbnb has been at the intersection of the room sharing economy and experiential travel. Its users are able to post commentary on their hosting/traveling experiences, giving an incentive for the host to offer great service and for the traveler to be a good guest.

Although room sharing has been popular with travelers in the Western world, lack of Internet user sophistication and security concerns has made the spread of these types of services slower in developing countries. Hostels have remained mainstays for travelers seeking communities of people looking to find interesting attractions and like-minded people who enjoy travel. What these services tend to do, however, is lump Westerners together and limit exposure to local culture. The future of travel services will seek to combine the affordability and community that hostels provide while featuring more direct opportunities for travelers to immerse themselves in local culture. By building online groups of travelers interested in not only sharing unique experiences but also learning and interacting more closely with local culture, this nuanced type of travel can become accessible to a larger swathe of travelers.

In addition to offering cool attractions or cozy apartments for Westerners to stay in, travel services can be highly positive vehicles for change in impoverished communities. The rise in popularity of favela tours in Brazil is a direct example of how Westerners’ desire for unique experiences has the potential to bring money and awareness to poor communities. The obvious fear in this type of situation is that it becomes a human zoo where little is taken away from the experience besides feeling pity for impoverished people. What travel services operating in developing countries should aim to do is to give Westerners a sense of reality, but also give them opportunities to interact with people of these communities – in family gatherings, in open-air markets, and local NGOs or other social impact groups. Only when foreigners come to see not only the problems of impoverished communities but also have very real shared experiences with people living in these communities can there be true learning and empowerment.

The hope is that travelers come away from these experiences with a better understanding of the complex circumstances that surround communities like the Rocinha favela in Brazil, but with a sense of connection and responsibility to help these communities. By seeing first-hand the generosity of host families and the joys of interacting with local people, the goal is to create a network of informed people inspired to tell the community’s story and spur on further action towards improving the lives of its citizens. Travelers who have a positive experience will likely feel the need to share this news with their friends and the online travel community to further increase the scope of interest in this form of travel.

Photo credit: Elliot Rosenberg, Founder & CEO of Favela Experience

Migration has often been identified as a central component of urbanisation, and with the rise of a ‘mobility’ paradigm, whereby movement is recognised as a rising necessity, the focus is on why people move and the nature of such movement. Novel innovations now enable our speed of movement, while services and infrastructure continues to build networks between spaces, people, and opportunities. However, in the case of Sub-Saharan Africa the question has been raised on what happens when urban agglomerations hosting migrants fail to secure livelihoods (see Bryceson, 2011)? Research in migration showcases the articulation of circular patterns of movement, rising rates of return, and greater insecurities in whether goals are achieved. Such raises an additional question – to what extent are those using, adopting, and experiencing, migration becoming stuck within such a mobility paradigm? Further, what do migrants do to get them out of this trap and achieve aspirations? Read more.

Submitted by Gemma Todd — Fri, 03/28/2014 – 11:18

Data has emerged showcasing the latest trends of our demographic shift – the global population now articulates a ‘youth bulge’. The UN-Population Demographic Profile (2010) show children, and ‘youths’, comprise 1.6bn, and 1.0bn, of the population in less-developed regions. The population is younger; and Sub-Saharan Africa is no exception. Attention is now turning to youths: what young people do, what opportunities they initiate for their families and nations, and what it means to be ‘young’ in the developing world. However, an important caveat requires recognition: the focus has been particularly male-focused. Our understanding of girls, within both public and private spaces, remains limited. Such is the debate in this blog post – if we are now looking at ‘kids’ in the city and development, what are the experiences of girls? What can we learn about the city through an engendered perspective? Fundamentally, who is responsible to grant equal rights? Two models of intervention are discussed be, each using alternative methods to provide rights for girls. However, each acts to reinforce the need to improve our understandings on ‘being’ a girl. Read more.

Submitted by Gemma Todd — Mon, 01/20/2014 – 10:08

Jati Baru adalah sebuah kecamatan miskin dan padat penduduk di Jakarta Pusat. Kemiskinan, eksklusi social dan tawuran anak muda telah menjadi cirri-ciri umum dari komunitas kumuh ini. Didorong oleh keinginan untuk mencari jalan keluar dari masalah sisial yang akut ini beberapa orang staf pengajar dari departemen sosiologi Universitas Indonesia menyusun strategi berdasarkan temuan penelitian yang mereka lakukan tahun 2012. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memahami proses-proses yang bersifat sistemik dari penyakit sosial sebagaimana yang tercermin dari tawuran antar kelompok anak muda ini terjadi. Dengan asumsi bahwa fenomena tawuran adalah refleksi frustrasi terhadap aturan-aturan yang dipaksakan oleh otoritas formal di pilihlah sebuah pendekatan penelitian yang memanfaatkan metode kuantitatif dan kualitatif. Baca lebih lanjut.

Joharb Baru is a poor and densely-populated district in Central Jakarta. Poverty, social exclusion and youth brawls have become common features in this slum community. Motivated to find a way out of this acute social problem, a group of lecturers from the sociology department at the University of Indonesia developed a strategy based their research findings conducted in 2012. The research aimed to understand the systemic processes by which such social disease as manifested in the frequent youth brawls occurred. Assuming that the phenomena of youth brawls reflect the frustration against the imposing civic order from a formal authority, a research approach that utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods was adopted. Read more.

Submitted by Riwanto Tirtosudarmo — Wed, 12/04/2013 – 12:47

India and China have been saddled side by side in the race for rising economic superpowers. While China has edged ahead on many fronts, India’s large youth population provides a massive potential. “An estimated 1-1.2 million new workers will join the labor market in South Asia every month over the next few decades – an increase of 25-50% over the historical average,” says a World Bank report. Job creation needs to match this upcoming labor force. A new government initiative in India, the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC), has prioritized providing this generation with the necessary education and training so the country can reap the benefits of its demographic dividend. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 11/11/2013 – 00:00

Os “Nem-Nem” são jovens entre 15 e 24 anos que nem estudam, nem trabalham, nem procuram emprego. Segundo dados do último censo, Brasil tem mais de 5 milhões de “Nem- Nem” no seu território, com grande concentração nas áreas urbanas. Rio atualmente tem mais de 150 mil “Nem-Nem”; preocupa que aquela população cresceu em 30 mil entre 2000 e 2010. Quais são as causas deste fenômeno? E quais são as respostas da cidade para enfrentar aquela situação? Leia mais o discutir.

A “NEET” is a youth between ages 15 to 24 who does not study and does not work. According to the latest Brazilian census, there are more than 5 million “NEETs” throughout the country, mainly concentrated in urban areas. In Rio alone, there are more than 150,000, and the number is rising: between 2000 and 2010, there were more than 30,000 new “NEETs.” What are the causes of this phenomenon and what is the city doing to respond to this situation? Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Catalina Gomez — Mon, 11/11/2013 – 00:00

In September this year the Kenyan government launched the Uwezo Fund, a 6 billion Ksh. cash reserve (approximately $70 million) aimed at channeling financial resources into the hands of youth and women. Money for the fund was obtained from capital set aside by the Jubilee Coalition during this year’s election campaign, for use in the case of a run-off. The Jubilee Coalition, led by Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy Samuel Ruto, pledged that any money that was not spent on the campaign would be channeled into a fund of this sort. Six months after winning the election, they stood by their commitment and announced that the application process for accessing interest-free loans was now open to registered youth and women’s groups. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Katy Fentress — Mon, 11/11/2013 – 00:00

El desempleo juvenil es un problema especialmente grave en Cali. Las tasas de acercan al 33 por ciento, la más alta de las principales ciudades del país (la media nacional en este sector demográfico es del 17 por ciento). Si bien es cierto que la tasa general de desempleo en la capital del Cauca es también superior a la nacional (13 por ciento frente al 9 por ciento), los jóvenes caleños sufren este problema de forma desproporcionada. Aunque las causas del desempleo son complejas, cabe destacar un periodo de recesión económica que duró 10 años, de 1995 a 2005, que coincidió con la llegada de fuertes flujos migratorios. Aunque a partir de 2006 la economía ha crecido, no lo ha hecho en tasas suficientes para absorber la bolsa de desempleo y los nuevos flujos migratorios. La falta de cualificación para los nuevos trabajos que van surgiendo es otra barrera para que los jóvenes obtengan empleo. Leer más o discutir.

Youth unemployment (for youths 16-24 years of age) is a particularly severe problem in Cali. The rate is 33 percent, the highest in big Colombian cities (the average national rate hovers around 18 percent). Even though the global unemployment rate in Cali is also higher than the national average (13 percent versus 9 percent), young caleños suffer disproportionately more than older age groups. The causes behind this problem are complex, but it was certainly aggravated by a 10-year recession (from 1995 to 2005), precisely at the time when immigration flows were very strong. Even though the economy resumed growth in 2006, it was not at a sufficient rate to reduce the large number of unemployed, or to absorb the continual arrival of immigrants. The lack of necessary qualifications and skills also poses a barrier for young job seekers, especially for the poorest ones. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Jorge Bela — Mon, 11/11/2013 – 00:00

Tal como señalamos en la pasada entrega, el Pacto por México, ha comenzado a dar sus primeros frutos: la Reforma Educativa, uno de ellos. Asimismo, también se “hornea” ya, la reforma financiera, la cual se prevé detone un mayor dinamismo financiero, pero que también contiene ciertos controles. Leer más.

Submitted by Saúl Guarneros — Mon, 10/28/2013 – 15:45

I recently stumbled on this series of interviews I did more than five years ago (April 2008) in Lagos, commissioned for a book project that ended up taking a different shape. I interviewed about seven “Lagosians” – a high school student, a boat pilot, an ex-private security guard and musicstar-wannabe, an itinerant shoe-cleaner, a policeman, a street trader, and a white collar worker. Read more.

Submitted by Tolu Ogunlesi — Tue, 09/10/2013 – 14:20

El Pacto por México observa su primer resultado tangible: la Reforma Educativa, la cual sin los consensos entre las principales fuerzas políticas del país no hubiera sido posible. Leer más.

Submitted by Saúl Guarneros — Tue, 09/10/2013 – 14:01

India and China have been saddled side by side in the race for rising economic superpowers. While China has edged ahead on many fronts, India’s large youth population provides a massive potential. “An estimated 1-1.2 million new workers will join the labor market in South Asia every month over the next few decades – an increase of 25-50% over the historical average,” says a World Bank report. Job creation needs to match this upcoming labor force. A new government initiative in India, the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC), has prioritized providing this generation with the necessary education and training so the country can reap the benefits of its demographic dividend. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 11/11/2013 – 00:00

Os “Nem-Nem” são jovens entre 15 e 24 anos que nem estudam, nem trabalham, nem procuram emprego. Segundo dados do último censo, Brasil tem mais de 5 milhões de “Nem- Nem” no seu território, com grande concentração nas áreas urbanas. Rio atualmente tem mais de 150 mil “Nem-Nem”; preocupa que aquela população cresceu em 30 mil entre 2000 e 2010. Quais são as causas deste fenômeno? E quais são as respostas da cidade para enfrentar aquela situação? Leia mais o discutir.

A “NEET” is a youth between ages 15 to 24 who does not study and does not work. According to the latest Brazilian census, there are more than 5 million “NEETs” throughout the country, mainly concentrated in urban areas. In Rio alone, there are more than 150,000, and the number is rising: between 2000 and 2010, there were more than 30,000 new “NEETs.” What are the causes of this phenomenon and what is the city doing to respond to this situation? Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Catalina Gomez — Mon, 11/11/2013 – 00:00

In September this year the Kenyan government launched the Uwezo Fund, a 6 billion Ksh. cash reserve (approximately $70 million) aimed at channeling financial resources into the hands of youth and women. Money for the fund was obtained from capital set aside by the Jubilee Coalition during this year’s election campaign, for use in the case of a run-off. The Jubilee Coalition, led by Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy Samuel Ruto, pledged that any money that was not spent on the campaign would be channeled into a fund of this sort. Six months after winning the election, they stood by their commitment and announced that the application process for accessing interest-free loans was now open to registered youth and women’s groups. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Katy Fentress — Mon, 11/11/2013 – 00:00

El desempleo juvenil es un problema especialmente grave en Cali. Las tasas de acercan al 33 por ciento, la más alta de las principales ciudades del país (la media nacional en este sector demográfico es del 17 por ciento). Si bien es cierto que la tasa general de desempleo en la capital del Cauca es también superior a la nacional (13 por ciento frente al 9 por ciento), los jóvenes caleños sufren este problema de forma desproporcionada. Aunque las causas del desempleo son complejas, cabe destacar un periodo de recesión económica que duró 10 años, de 1995 a 2005, que coincidió con la llegada de fuertes flujos migratorios. Aunque a partir de 2006 la economía ha crecido, no lo ha hecho en tasas suficientes para absorber la bolsa de desempleo y los nuevos flujos migratorios. La falta de cualificación para los nuevos trabajos que van surgiendo es otra barrera para que los jóvenes obtengan empleo. Leer más o discutir.

Youth unemployment (for youths 16-24 years of age) is a particularly severe problem in Cali. The rate is 33 percent, the highest in big Colombian cities (the average national rate hovers around 18 percent). Even though the global unemployment rate in Cali is also higher than the national average (13 percent versus 9 percent), young caleños suffer disproportionately more than older age groups. The causes behind this problem are complex, but it was certainly aggravated by a 10-year recession (from 1995 to 2005), precisely at the time when immigration flows were very strong. Even though the economy resumed growth in 2006, it was not at a sufficient rate to reduce the large number of unemployed, or to absorb the continual arrival of immigrants. The lack of necessary qualifications and skills also poses a barrier for young job seekers, especially for the poorest ones. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Jorge Bela — Mon, 11/11/2013 – 00:00

বাংলাদেশের আর্থসামাজিক উন্নতির জন্য মহিলাদের অর্থনীতিতে অংশগ্রহণ প্রধান চাবিকাঠি। শহরাঞ্চলের মহিলারা বিশেষত যারা ঢাকায় বাস করেন, তারা প্রতিনিয়ত বিভিন্ন জটিল সমস্যার মুখোমুখি হন যেমন নারী সহিংসতা, অপুষ্টি এবং গর্ভকালীন শারীরিক জতিলতা; এসকল সমস্যার অন্যতম কারণ নারীদের অনেকসময়ই পরিবারের অর্থনৈতিক সিদ্ধান্ত নেয়া থেকে বঞ্চিত করা হয়। মহিলারা ঘরের সকল কাজ করে এবং ঘরের বাইরেও তাদের কাজের সুযোগ ও চাহিদা বেড়ে যাচ্ছে; কিন্তু এসকল কাজের বিনিময়ে তাদের উপযুক্ত মজুরি দেয়া হচ্ছে না। সুতরাং, বাংলাদেশ এবং অন্যান্য উন্নয়নশীল দেশের অর্থনৈতিক বৃদ্ধি নিশ্চিত করার জন্য অর্থনীতিতে মহিলাদের অংশগ্রহন অত্যন্ত প্রয়োজনীয় এবং তাদের অংশগ্রহণের জন্য যথাশীঘ্র প্রয়োজনীয় আইন তৈরি করা উচিত। Read more or discuss.

Finding ways to financially include women is one of the major keys to socio-economic development in Bangladesh. While women are usually responsible for household labor and increasingly for outside work and wages, they generally do not receive equal recognition or pay for their labor. In fact, according to a Food and Agricultural survey, only two percent of the women in Bangladesh own land, which is very low compared to other neighboring countries. Despite women’s notable representation in the workforce, their lack of access to land ownership is one of the fundamental barriers to financial stability. Financial inclusion is therefore a high-priority policy goal for Bangladesh in order to ensure stable and equitable economic growth. Read more or discuss.

Submitted by Editor — Mon, 10/28/2013 – 00:00

The poor live in precarious circumstances on a daily basis. Unexpected illnesses or job losses that would put a strain on any family often leave the poor on the brink. With no access to the formal banking system, microloans have not only served to help in emergency situations, but have actually helped these families to build up savings and gain access to important, life-saving products. The loans, mainly to women, have expanded in purpose and scope since Grameen launched its rural banking system in the 1990s. Today, microfinance institutions such as Samasta in Bangalore have used the women’s groups that form the basis of lending to focus loans on other important intervention areas, including insurance, home gas connections and water purifiers. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 10/28/2013 – 00:00

In Kenyan communities that have little of the collateral needed to access credit, a common approach is to set up savings and investment associations known as “Chamas.” A Chama is an informal group, often composed of women, that follows a system by which everyone contributes money on a regular basis and in turn gets disbursed a fixed amount. The method evolved from the tradition of rural women grouping together and pooling their labor to work on each other’s farms. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Katy Fentress — Mon, 10/28/2013 – 00:00

En el 2013 el Banco Mundial realizó un estudio junto con Global Findex (el Índice Global de Inclusión Financiera) confirmando grandes brechas de género en el tema de inclusión financiera. De acuerdo al Banco Mundial, las mujeres son 15 por ciento menos propensas de tener una cuenta bancaria, (la cifra es mayor en mujeres en condiciones de pobreza), lo que hace que este grupo sea muy vulnerable ante el tema. Este estudio demuestra que la inclusión financiera va más allá de la apertura de cuentas bancarias, como el acceso a sistemas de préstamo y ahorro, o el pertenecer a sistemas financieros formales que abren las puertas al ingreso proveniente de otras fuentes. Asli Demirguc-Kunt, Directora de Investigación del Banco Mundial afirma que “[s]in una cuenta, a las mujeres les cuesta más ahorrar formalmente y recibir subsidios gubernamentales o remesas de familiares que viven en el extranjero.” Las mujeres son el sustento de los hogares, por lo que la falta de inclusión financiera refleja poca independencia económica y dificultad al obtener ingresos por cuenta propia. Leer más o discutir.

In 2013, the World Bank conducted a study along with Global Findex (the Global Financial Inclusion Database) confirming the existence of large gender gaps with regard to financial inclusion. According to the World Bank, women are 15 percent less likely to have a bank account (the figure is higher for women living in poverty), making women as a whole more vulnerable to financial exclusion. This study demonstrates that financial inclusion is far more than just opening a bank account. It includes having access to borrowing and lending systems, and being a member of formal financial systems, allowing access to other sources of income. Asli Demirguc-Kunt, Investigative Director at the World Bank, stated that “without a bank account, women have a difficult time saving and receiving government subsidies or remittances from family members living abroad.” Women are the foundation of the home, so the lack of financial inclusion leads to a lack of economic independence. Read more or discuss.

Submitted by Maria Fernanda Carvallo — Mon, 10/28/2013 – 00:00

Jamaican youth are finding entrepreneurial opportunities in the $4 billion global ornamental fish market. The amenable local climate, visionary leaders, neighborhood collaboration, and raw personal initiative combine to pull young urbanites out of poverty. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Tue, 10/01/2013 – 12:47

Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, speaking during India’s 66th independence day, admitted that the government has not done enough on skill building for India’s youth and announced the setting up of a national skill development agency (NSDA). Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Mon, 08/19/2013 – 05:52

En esta entrada, deseo comentar un estudio que considero sumamente importante que fue realizado por la empresa consultora McKinsey: A tale of two Mexicos: Growth and prosperity in a two-speed economy. Dicho estudio analiza “las dos historias” que tiene México en su día a día, es por ello que decidí nombrar a esta entrada “Los dos rostros de México”, que si bien no es la mejor traducción respecto al título del estudio, básicamente éste abarca eso, los dos aspectos que presenta la economía mexicana. Leer más.

Submitted by Saúl Guarneros — Wed, 04/02/2014 – 14:45

Los fuertes movimientos migratorios del campo a la ciudad que han tenido lugar en toda Latinoamérica se han visto acentuados en Colombia por la emigración forzosa que han generado los conflictos armados. En Cali, la población pasó de unos 280.000 habitantes en 1950 a unos 2.300.000 en 2013, según datos del DANE. La mayor parte de los considerables flujos migratorios que reflejan estos datos tienen un origen rural. Los sentimientos y tradiciones comunitarias que unían a estos emigrantes en sus lugares de procedencia se difuminan considerablemente a su llegada a las grandes ciudades, pero no desaparecen del todo: se ven sustituidos por lazos de solidaridad por parte de personas, generalmente de su entorno familiar, que habiendo llegado con anterioridad tienen un mayor arraigo. Estas relaciones de solidaridad se extienden especialmente en el ámbito de la búsqueda de vivienda y de trabajo. Leer más o discutir.

The huge migration from rural to urban areas that took place in Latin America during the last few decades was made even more significant in Colombia by the forced migrations caused by successive armed conflicts. In Cali, the population went from 280,000 in 1950 to 2,300,000 in 2013. As in the rest of the region, most of this massive increase in population was due to migration from rural areas. While the traditional links that glue together rural communities tend to weaken when immigrants reach the urban setting, they do not completely disappear. They are, in part, replaced by new solidarity networks, formed primarily by members of extended families who had arrived earlier and are able to provide support to the newcomers. Primarily, these networks provide assistance with housing and employment, the two most urgent needs they face. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Jorge Bela — Mon, 09/16/2013 – 00:00

Without the ongoing support of their rural families, migrants in Nairobi slums would have little chance of making it. Family networks provide a crucial backbone on which migrants can rely on in order to be able to survive in the city and save money for their future. Grandparents and extended family contribute in the upbringing of children while parents seek urban work. The older generations act as custodians of wealth, overseeing how remittances are invested and providing informal insurance/retirement schemes to safeguard their descendants’ future. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Katy Fentress — Mon, 09/16/2013 – 00:00

Migrasi masyarakat pedesaan ke daerah perkotaan merupakan fenomena umum. Dengan alasan keterdesakan ekonomi mereka hijrah ke kota demi perbaikan kesejahteraan keluarga. Umumnya mereka datang karena telah memiliki saudara atau teman yang sudah lebih dahulu tinggal di kota. Kerap para pendatang mengalami kebingungan karena harus menyesuaikan diri di wilayah baru perkotaan. Keruwetan kota dan sistem nilai yang berbeda membuat mereka tidak nyaman dengan kehidupan kota. Di tempat yang baru mereka juga dibenturkan dengan kendala ekonomi dan kesulitan mencari pekerjaan seperti yang mereka harapkan. Bantuan kelompok pendatang yang sudah mandiri di kota yang berasal dari daerah yang sama kerap menjadi solusi atas permasalahan bagi mereka yang baru sampai di kota. Ikatan persaudaraan dan bantuan ekonomi yang ditawarkan oleh kelompok ini membantu para pendatang untuk menyesuaikan diri secara budaya dan ekonomi dengan kehidupan dan tantangan di kota. Baca lebih lanjut atau bergabung dalam diskusi.

Submitted by widya anggraini — Mon, 09/16/2013 – 00:00

Many rural traditions and customs carry over into urban life for India’s migrant communities. Local festivals, artisanal expertise, and languages turn Mumbai’s slums into vibrantly diverse amalgamations of India’s villages. The city also offers greater freedom from the strict caste structures of rural areas, and the role and freedoms of women in Mumbai’s slums often change as well. In fact, the autonomy that women gain as they move from rural to urban India provides insights into their healthcare choices, especially when it comes to reproductive care. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 09/16/2013 – 00:00

São Paulo, é a maior cidade do Brasil com 11 milhões de moradores e o epicentro da terceira maior área metropolitana do mundo; ela está totalmente urbanizada e tem poucas conexões com as áreas rurais, exceto por dois temas fundamentais: (i) a provisão de alimentos e (ii) os recursos naturais compartilhados. Esta semana nosso debate está focado nas conexões rural-urbano e no contexto de São Paulo, apresentamos duas experiências que estão contribuindo ao desenvolvimento sustentável da cidade por meio da agricultura urbana e da conservação ambiental, trazendo também uma relação mais balanceada entre a mega-cidade e as áreas rurais do entorno. Leia mais o discutir.

São Paulo, the biggest city in Brazil, has 11 million residents and is the epicenter of the third largest metropolitan area in the globe. It is fully urbanized and presents few connections with close by rural areas, with the exception of two fundamental aspects: (i) food supply; and (ii) shared natural resources. The following two initiatives contribute to São Paulo’s sustainable development through the expansion of urban agriculture and the conservation of natural resources, bringing greater balance between the megacity and nearby rural areas. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Catalina Gomez — Mon, 09/16/2013 – 00:00

São Paulo, the biggest city in Brazil, has 11 million residents and is the epicenter of the third largest metropolitan area in the globe. It is fully urbanized and presents few connections with close by rural areas, with the exception of two fundamental aspects: (i) food supply; and (ii) shared natural resources. The following two initiatives contribute to São Paulo’s sustainable development through the expansion of urban agriculture and the conservation of natural resources, bringing greater balance between the megacity and nearby rural areas. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Catalina Gomez — Mon, 09/16/2013 – 00:00

The huge migration from rural to urban areas that took place in Latin America during the last few decades was made even more significant in Colombia by the forced migrations caused by successive armed conflicts. In Cali, the population went from 280,000 in 1950 to 2,300,000 in 2013. As in the rest of the region, most of this massive increase in population was due to migration from rural areas. While the traditional links that glue together rural communities tend to weaken when immigrants reach the urban setting, they do not completely disappear. They are, in part, replaced by new solidarity networks, formed primarily by members of extended families who had arrived earlier and are able to provide support to the newcomers. Primarily, these networks provide assistance with housing and employment, the two most urgent needs they face. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Jorge Bela — Mon, 09/16/2013 – 00:00

Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, speaking during India’s 66th independence day, admitted that the government has not done enough on skill building for India’s youth and announced the setting up of a national skill development agency (NSDA). Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Mon, 08/19/2013 – 05:52

Salah satu dampak yang tidak direncanakan dari kebijakan pembangunan ekonomi dan strategi rekayasa politik Orde Baru Suharto adalah fenomena menggelembungnya sektor informal di perkotaan. Secara akademik istilah sektor informal diperkenalkan pada tahun 1970an sebagai kelanjutan dari diskusi luas tentang isu-isu “urban bias” dan “why poor stay poor” argument utama dari Michael Lipton. Baca lebih lanjut.

Submitted by Riwanto Tirtosudarmo — Fri, 08/09/2013 – 00:00

Discussion on urbanisation across the Global South is often synthesised with images of slums and the growing problem of informal housing. There is a housing crisis in urban Africa, and research is focusing on understanding where urban dwellers dwell. Estimates suggest around 70 percent of urban Africa live in slums; an increasing, invisible homeless population, and limited land governance – with only 85 land surveyors practicing in Kenya. Within such statistics are a rising number of urban renters. The rental market remains an important source of habitation, however, has been given minimal attention within development policy and practice as the discourse focuses on ownership. Read more.

Submitted by Gemma Todd — Fri, 05/02/2014 – 12:52

Event: Habitat III
17-18 September 2014 New York, USA

Habitat III is the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, to take place in 2016. It will be one of the first global conferences after the Post 2015 Development Agenda. It is an opportunity to discuss and chart new pathways in response to the challenges of urbanization and the opportunities it offers for the implementation of the sustainable development goals. The conference promises to be unique in bringing together diverse urban actors such as governments, local authorities, civil society, the private sector, academic institutions and all relevant interest groups to review urban and housing policies affecting the future of cities within an international governance architecture, with a view to generate a ‘New Urban Agenda’ for the 21st century which recognizes the ever – changing dynamics of human civilization. For more information, click here.

“Housing for All” in India focusing on the poor will remain a key electoral mandate for successive government irrespective of party affiliations. The only expectation with the upcoming national elections in India later this year 2014 is for a change in policy perspective to truly facilitate housing for the poor. There are workable and scalable housing solutions abound and the policy makers need only look at field practices to design policy that is flexible and accommodates these innovations rather than stifling them. Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Thu, 03/20/2014 – 08:22

I’ve written a fair bit about the housing problem in Lagos. A city of anything between 15 and 18 million persons, with a 48.6% poverty rate (2012), and an acute shortage of low-cost housing. There’s of course no shortage of luxury housing. Victoria Island and Ikoyi are home to hundreds of empty luxury apartments; priced out of reach of all but the insanely wealthy. IT entrepreneur Jason Njoku has got an interesting post on the economics of housing prices in Lagos. Two years ago I wrote extensively on the Eko Atlantic City project being spearheaded by the state government, adding 9 square kilometers of reclaimed luxury territory (“the Manhattan of West Africa”) to Lagos’ Victoria Island. Any news of progress in terms of access to (relatively) low-cost housing is therefore much welcome. Which leads me to the focus of today’s post. Read more.

Submitted by Tolu Ogunlesi — Mon, 03/03/2014 – 12:47

Housing tenure can have a transformative impact on the lives of the poor. The security of ownership rights opens pathways for slum dwellers themselves to upgrade their living environments without fear of relocation or demolition. Beyond improved structural environments, tenure security also leads to improved health conditions, education levels and income levels. In this sense, housing tenure’s ripple effects make it one of the single most important aspects of improving the lives of slum dwellers. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 10/21/2013 – 00:00

In South Africa, the government’s response to the characteristically peri-urban poverty of informal settlement (between 1.7 million and 2.5 million households) has occurred within the paradigm of individual title (subsidised housing), the conventional route for informal settlement upgrading in the country. Despite well-intentioned policies, however, this ownership model is far removed from lived realities; where many households are condemned to either waiting patiently for state-subsidised housing or to land occupation, while others cannot access the state subsidy, such as foreign nationals and the poor-but-not-poor-enough-to-qualify. In the longer term, the model could even be said to lock poor people into marginal locations. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Tariq Toffa — Mon, 10/21/2013 – 00:00

Rio de Janeiro está avançando na expansão efetiva da titulação de terras e beneficiando a sua população mais vulnerável. Esta direção positiva é o resultado da implementação do programa habitacional Minha Casa Minha Vida e do programa de melhoramento de bairros Morar Carioca Leia mais o discutir.

Rio de Janeiro is actively moving forward with the expansion of effective land titling for its most vulnerable citizens. This positive trend is the result of the implementation of programs such as Minha Casa Minha Vida, the national housing program, and Morar Carioca, the city’s urban upgrading program. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Catalina Gomez — Mon, 10/21/2013 – 00:00

Uno de los principales frenos al desarrollo de los asentamientos irregulares es la falta de títulos de propiedad por parte de sus ocupantes. En Colombia, donde los conflictos armados que se prolongan desde hace décadas han sumado un número significativo de desplazados por la violencia a los flujos migratorios observados en toda Latinoamérica, este problema tiene una especial gravedad. Para atajar este problema en el año 2005 se aprobó una ley que permitía la transferencia gratuita de predios fiscales, o de titularidad pública, que hubieran sido ocupados antes de 2001. El alcance de esta ley deja fuera del proyecto de titulación a los asentamientos edificados sobre predios de propiedad privada. Leer más o discutir.

Lack of property titles is one of the most significant barriers to development and poverty reduction in informal settlements. This problem is particularly serious in Colombia, where people displaced by several decades of armed conflict have joined the large number of immigrants for economic reasons in creating the largest number of informal settlements in Latin America. A law enacted in 2005 sought to tackle, at least partially, this problem by allowing for free transfer of property to informal residents. The scope of the law was limited to settlements established on public land before 2001, thus excluding all settlements on private land. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Jorge Bela — Mon, 10/21/2013 – 00:00

Slums in the census are defined as “residential areas where dwellings are unfit for human habitation” because they are dilapidated, cramped, poorly ventilated, unclean, or “any combination of these factors which are detrimental to the safety and health”. For the latest round, the census designated slums in three different ways – notified, recognized and identified (identified slums do not have legal status as a slum, but must consist of at least 60-70 tenements with at least 300 people). Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Wed, 10/09/2013 – 07:42

Opportunity: UN Habitat International Competition: Urban Revitalization of Mass Housing

UN-Habitat is promoting a new urban planning paradigm that calls for planning in advance at the scale of expected development of cities with a better integration of urban uses — housing, business, retail, recreation, education, agricultural, amongst others. The aim of this paradigm shift is to achieve adequate urban densities to minimise the impact of urban sprawl, improve mobility and reduce greenhouse emissions. The ultimate goal is to attain the social, economic, environmental and cultural sustainability of cities.

The purpose of the competition is to address the issues of mass housing through proposals to revitalize a mass housing locality in one’s respective city. For this development-oriented competition, participants will need to contact the owners of the housing stock to jointly select a typical mass housing complex for revitalization. The scope will include research, proposal, and policy. Click here to learn more.

“Housing for All” in India focusing on the poor will remain a key electoral mandate for successive government irrespective of party affiliations. The only expectation with the upcoming national elections in India later this year 2014 is for a change in policy perspective to truly facilitate housing for the poor. There are workable and scalable housing solutions abound and the policy makers need only look at field practices to design policy that is flexible and accommodates these innovations rather than stifling them. Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Thu, 03/20/2014 – 08:22

To me, the more difficult part of this question may not be answering what a more equity-driven approach to city infrastructure would look like — but figuring out how we would get there from here. In Chennai, we have interacted with government servants from a number of agencies that regularly deal with the urban poor, such as officials from the Slum Clearance Board or the city department that builds and maintains public toilets. Especially in India, government officials are often portrayed as corrupt and lazy, barriers to better governance. However, what we have found is that many officials are actually sincere and hardworking, but that they themselves face barriers that prevent them from taking actions that benefit the poor and create a more equitable city Read more.

Para mí, la parte más difícil de esta pregunta no es responder en como un enfoque patrimonial dirigido a la infraestructura de la ciudad se miraría—sino tratar de averiguar cómo podemos llegar allí desde aquí. En Chennai, hemos interactuado con los funcionarios del gobierno de una serie de agencias que tratan con los pobres urbanos regularmente, tales como los funcionarios de la Junta de Eliminación de Suburbios o el departamento de la ciudad que construye y mantiene los baños públicos. En la India especialmente, los funcionarios del gobierno son representados a menudo como corruptos y perezosos—barreras a la gobernación eficaz. No obstante, lo que hemos encontrado es que muchos funcionarios son realmente sinceros y trabajadores, pero ellos mismos tienen barreras que se enfrentan y que les impiden tomar acciones que beneficien a los pobres para crear una ciudad más justa. Leer más.

Submitted by Editor — Thu, 03/13/2014 – 15:43

Like many emerging cities around the world, Mumbai faces complex challenges related to rapid urbanization. The land-starved peninsula city has grown chaotically over the last couple of decades. Economic liberalization in the early 1990s opened up new opportunities across the country, particularly in cities, attracting millions of rural migrants seeking a better life. With few plans in place to handle the mass influx, Mumbai has developed into a city of massive disparities: official figures say upwards of 50 percent of the city lives in notified slums, yet slum dwellers occupy just 8.75 percent of habitable land. The population density is among the highest in the world at 20,000 people per square kilometer — a statistic that has nearly doubled since the 1991 census. In Dharavi, long known as Asia’s largest slum, that density spikes: a half-million people are packed into one square kilometer. Read more.

Al igual que muchas ciudades emergentes de todo el mundo, Mumbai se enfrenta con retos complejos relacionados con la rapidez de la urbanización. La península, con falta de terrenos, ha crecido de manera caótica en el último par de décadas. La liberalización economía en el principio de la década de 1990 abrió nuevas oportunidades en todo el país, especialmente en ciudades, atrayendo a millones de migrantes rurales buscando una vida mejor. Con pocos planes en marcha para administrar la afluencia masiva, Mumbai se ha convertido en una ciudad de disparidades masivas: las cifras oficiales muestran que más del 50 por ciento de la ciudad vive en un barrio marginal notificado, y aun los habitantes de estos barrios ocupan el 8,75 por ciento del terreno habitable. La densidad de la población está entre las más altas del mundo con 20.000 personas por kilómetro cuadrado—una estadística que casi se ha duplicado desde el censo de 1991. Dharavi es conocida como el barrio marginal más grande de Asia, donde la densidad aumenta: un medio millón de personas viven en un solo kilómetro cuadrado. Leer más.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Sat, 03/01/2014 – 10:43

Mumbai has 149 kilometers of coastline — an enormous asset but also one of the city’s greatest vulnerabilities. After the 2004 tsunami that caused widespread devastation across Southeast Asia, coastal cities began to reevaluate their resiliency in the face of another major storm. Areas that weathered the tsunami best were those with thriving mangroves, a natural buffer between the land and sea. Mangroves protect the “assault of the sea on land,” according to the Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej Marine Ecology Centre, which supported the protection of Mumbai’s mangroves. The Centre describes these vibrantly diverse ecosystems as “more dynamic than the sea itself.” Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Tue, 02/11/2014 – 16:18

In February 2010, 12-year-old Rouvanjit Rawla, a student at a prestigious school in Kolkata, committed suicide after being humiliated and caned by his principal. The Rawla incident set off a firestorm of controversy over widespread accounts of corporal punishment in India’s schools – from the most elite institutions to those run by the government. The Ministry of Women and Child Development subsequently banned physical punishment of students, stating of the consequences, “The first violation of the ban will invite up to one year in jail, or a fine of Rs. 50,000 or both. For subsequent violations, imprisonment could be extended to three years with an additional fine of 25,000 rupees,” says an article on the issue. Despite the measures, reports of students continuing to receive harsh physical and verbal abuses from their superiors continue to plague India’s school system. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 02/03/2014 – 00:00

This time last year, a horrific event took place in India. A young girl and her male friend took a late-night bus ride in Delhi after a movie; it ended up being the girl’s last. In the bus, she was gang raped and so brutally assaulted that even an emergency medical flight to Singapore couldn’t save her. The incident sparked national and international outrage; protestors poured into the streets of India’s major cities to force more stringent laws to protect women against violence. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 12/23/2013 – 00:00

In early November, the Duchess of York and Prince Charles visited Mumbai. The royal couple had many stops on their itinerary, but one of those was a very special project we featured for this issue last year, Mumbai Mobile Creches. For decades the organization has been quietly working in the most invisible parts of the city — the construction sites where families from poor villages around the country make their home temporarily to engage in this work for months or years on end. Mumbai Mobile Creches provides a school and daycare for the children of these families, and has expanded into working to help them receive proper medical care and check-ups. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 12/16/2013 – 00:00

At a recent sanitation roundtable discussion at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), a public policy think tank in Mumbai, Chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni said that Mahatma Gandhi believed sanitation was more important than political independence. In 2010, the UN declared access to sanitation a human right. Despite the increased emphasis, says Dhaval Desai, a senior researcher at ORF, the two are rarely linked. “If one agrees that there is a connect between lack of access to clean and hygienic sanitation and global statistics on poverty, malnutrition, infant mortality, maternal health, diseases, education, and gender, then it is impossible to deny sanitation as an intrinsic human rights issue.” Desai, who specializes in water and sanitation issues, discussed with us the importance of this human rights issue and some promising ways forward. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 12/09/2013 – 00:00

Walkability and green spaces are not the same thing, but it feels as if they ought to be related somehow. This is because walkability in its most basic form is more than some version of “is possible to walk there”, but also “is possible and pleasant to walk there.” Or is it? One published definition of walkability, for example, is: “The extent to which the built environment is friendly to the presence of people living, shopping, visiting, enjoying or spending time in an area.” (from Walkability Scoping Paper, 2005). All the action is in the word “friendly”, and there’s a lot of unpacking to do. Read more.

Submitted by David Maddox — Fri, 11/08/2013 – 12:17

Mumbai’s streets are a scary battleground. Rickshaws nudge ahead of beastly city buses; cows wander aimlessly through jams of oversized cars; and pedestrians push across busy intersections in droves, hoping the power in numbers will help them reach the other side safely. Everyone is vulnerable in this situation, but no one more than the thousands of school children who walk to school, often in the streets, in the absence of school buses and navigable sidewalks. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 11/04/2013 – 00:00

To me, the more difficult part of this question may not be answering what a more equity-driven approach to city infrastructure would look like — but figuring out how we would get there from here. In Chennai, we have interacted with government servants from a number of agencies that regularly deal with the urban poor, such as officials from the Slum Clearance Board or the city department that builds and maintains public toilets. Especially in India, government officials are often portrayed as corrupt and lazy, barriers to better governance. However, what we have found is that many officials are actually sincere and hardworking, but that they themselves face barriers that prevent them from taking actions that benefit the poor and create a more equitable city Read more.

Para mí, la parte más difícil de esta pregunta no es responder en como un enfoque patrimonial dirigido a la infraestructura de la ciudad se miraría—sino tratar de averiguar cómo podemos llegar allí desde aquí. En Chennai, hemos interactuado con los funcionarios del gobierno de una serie de agencias que tratan con los pobres urbanos regularmente, tales como los funcionarios de la Junta de Eliminación de Suburbios o el departamento de la ciudad que construye y mantiene los baños públicos. En la India especialmente, los funcionarios del gobierno son representados a menudo como corruptos y perezosos—barreras a la gobernación eficaz. No obstante, lo que hemos encontrado es que muchos funcionarios son realmente sinceros y trabajadores, pero ellos mismos tienen barreras que se enfrentan y que les impiden tomar acciones que beneficien a los pobres para crear una ciudad más justa. Leer más.

Submitted by Editor — Thu, 03/13/2014 – 15:43

The AIDS crisis continues to loom large in India, with more than 2.5 million people infected with HIV. The country has taken steps toward addressing the issue, including launching a National AIDS Control Program. Still, the virus has taken the lives of millions of mothers and fathers, and UNICEF estimates that there could be as many as 4 million children affected in India, including those living with HIV — estimated to number nearly 100,000 — those orphaned by AIDS, and those whose parents are living with HIV. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 12/02/2013 – 00:00

India and China have been saddled side by side in the race for rising economic superpowers. While China has edged ahead on many fronts, India’s large youth population provides a massive potential. “An estimated 1-1.2 million new workers will join the labor market in South Asia every month over the next few decades – an increase of 25-50% over the historical average,” says a World Bank report. Job creation needs to match this upcoming labor force. A new government initiative in India, the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC), has prioritized providing this generation with the necessary education and training so the country can reap the benefits of its demographic dividend. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 11/11/2013 – 00:00

The poor live in precarious circumstances on a daily basis. Unexpected illnesses or job losses that would put a strain on any family often leave the poor on the brink. With no access to the formal banking system, microloans have not only served to help in emergency situations, but have actually helped these families to build up savings and gain access to important, life-saving products. The loans, mainly to women, have expanded in purpose and scope since Grameen launched its rural banking system in the 1990s. Today, microfinance institutions such as Samasta in Bangalore have used the women’s groups that form the basis of lending to focus loans on other important intervention areas, including insurance, home gas connections and water purifiers. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 10/28/2013 – 00:00

Housing tenure can have a transformative impact on the lives of the poor. The security of ownership rights opens pathways for slum dwellers themselves to upgrade their living environments without fear of relocation or demolition. Beyond improved structural environments, tenure security also leads to improved health conditions, education levels and income levels. In this sense, housing tenure’s ripple effects make it one of the single most important aspects of improving the lives of slum dwellers. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 10/21/2013 – 00:00

Slums in the census are defined as “residential areas where dwellings are unfit for human habitation” because they are dilapidated, cramped, poorly ventilated, unclean, or “any combination of these factors which are detrimental to the safety and health”. For the latest round, the census designated slums in three different ways – notified, recognized and identified (identified slums do not have legal status as a slum, but must consist of at least 60-70 tenements with at least 300 people). Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Wed, 10/09/2013 – 07:42

This year marks an important turning point in mental healthcare in India. The landmark Mental Healthcare Bill 2013 has been introduced and is under review to be passed as law. The new bill decriminalizes suicide and protects the rights of the mentally ill from inhumane treatment. It also “aims to ensure that proper medical treatment is provided to mentally ill patients” and “seeks to regulate the public and private mental health sectors and establish a mental health system integrated into all levels of general health care,” says an article in the Indian Express. Gaps in care have been filled by NGOs that not only work to provide treatment but to increase public awareness around issues of mental illness that have added to stigmatization of these patients. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 10/07/2013 – 00:00

Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, speaking during India’s 66th independence day, admitted that the government has not done enough on skill building for India’s youth and announced the setting up of a national skill development agency (NSDA). Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Mon, 08/19/2013 – 05:52

The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi brought the world’s attention to India. The major event was one of the first and largest of its kind to be held in the country. “A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games to date. It was also the largest international multi-sport event to be staged in Delhi and India, eclipsing the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982,” according to statistics on the event. While the mega sporting event was rife with controversy, it also presented the opportunity for the city to test out new transport methods and for international organizations to introduce greener and cleaner ideas. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 08/19/2013 – 00:00

Juvenile crime all over the world often goes hand-in-hand with lack of opportunities. Blight-stricken areas from New York to Nairobi with low employment rates and education levels leave directionless youth with few options. Lacking support systems to show them alternative paths, teens often take to criminal activities. While crime amongst youth has not been such an issue in India’s urban areas, recent studies show a marked escalation in illicit activities. In fact, the “State of the Urban Youth India 2012: Employment, Livelihoods, Skills” report that came out last year says that juvenile crime in urban areas of India rose by 40 percent between 2001 and 2010. The youth involved in criminal activity were largely from low-income working families; the study found that “lack of education is an important factor with over 55 percent juvenile criminals being illiterate or with limited primary education.” Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 08/12/2013 – 00:00

“Housing for All” in India focusing on the poor will remain a key electoral mandate for successive government irrespective of party affiliations. The only expectation with the upcoming national elections in India later this year 2014 is for a change in policy perspective to truly facilitate housing for the poor. There are workable and scalable housing solutions abound and the policy makers need only look at field practices to design policy that is flexible and accommodates these innovations rather than stifling them. Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Thu, 03/20/2014 – 08:22

It has been an interesting and intense week of strategic planning at the Global Land Tenure Network (GLTN) partner’s forum at The Hague. The Network was set up in 2008 under the UN Habitat with the objective of improving land and tenure rights. Over the last five years it has invested in tool development and engaged partner agencies in the training and delivery of capacities at the international, regional and national level. Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Fri, 11/15/2013 – 05:29

Slums in the census are defined as “residential areas where dwellings are unfit for human habitation” because they are dilapidated, cramped, poorly ventilated, unclean, or “any combination of these factors which are detrimental to the safety and health”. For the latest round, the census designated slums in three different ways – notified, recognized and identified (identified slums do not have legal status as a slum, but must consist of at least 60-70 tenements with at least 300 people). Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Wed, 10/09/2013 – 07:42

Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, speaking during India’s 66th independence day, admitted that the government has not done enough on skill building for India’s youth and announced the setting up of a national skill development agency (NSDA). Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Mon, 08/19/2013 – 05:52

This year we have been witness to two deadly building collapses. Or at least two have been widely covered by the media. The first one reported was in Thane (Mumbai), with a toll of 74 lives of mostly low-income renter families. The second one happened in Savar, Bangladesh. Over 700 people lost their lives. Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Mon, 06/10/2013 – 21:02

The term Private Public Partnerships (PPP) in India is a dirty one. While partnerships present an opportunity for stakeholder collaboration that generate value by pooling of complementary expertise and resources, the practice in India has meant subcontracting of tasks and strategy by public sector to the private sector with little accountability or responsibilities on outcomes. The only driver of the partnership has been project finance and profits. This has been especially true in housing or slum redevelopment schemes from Dharavi in Mumbai to Katputali colony in Delhi driven by PPPs between city governments and large private developers. Maximizing the value of land while delivering maximum number of low-income housing are contradictory and misleading national policy objectives with fatal social outcomes. Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Fri, 04/05/2013 – 04:51

The Indian nation is determined to meet its goal on financial inclusion. How financially inclusive is the city of Mumbai?

As the financial capital of the country, Mumbai, with a population of 18.8 million, has more than 1,600 bank branches. But when it comes to the poor and informal sector workforce, let’s see how it fares.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Tue, 03/12/2013 – 05:42

The self-construction opportunity: A bottom-up answer to low-income housing — Part II

This is a two-part blog on the self-construction housing opportunity in India’s informal settlements. Part II highlights innovations needed to address issues of safety and quality in self-constructed housing, guidelines circulated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and what we can do to make innovations and information more accessible to communities. Part I highlighted the urgency to acknowledge and facilitate the self-construction market and shared experiences from the mHS pilot.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Tue, 01/22/2013 – 08:20

Despite the Ministry of Housing revising the categories of urban poor (EWS) and low income (LIG) groups with annual incomes up to Rs 100,000 (USD 1800) and Rs 200,000 (USD 3600) per year respectively, the new estimates will still leave out 60% of Mumbai’s population from accessing the national government affordable housing programs. That is a hard measure to accept when the reality in Mumbai is that 2 in 3 people (or about 60%) live in substandard housing or lack security of tenure in current housing arrangements.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Sat, 01/12/2013 – 00:40

From such megacities as Delhi and Mumbai to smaller cities such as Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Dehradun, self-construction is visible throughout India, a country where over 60 percent of the urban poor live in settlements where units have been self-constructed. Contrary to popular belief, these settlements are not all “slums” as seen near railway stations or large drains, but a range of neighborhoods — including urban villages, unauthorized and planned colonies that vary both in terms of their legal status (right to sell, build, mortgage) and access to urban infrastructure and services. In the absence of scalable private and government housing initiatives, these low-income neighborhoods are the largest source of affordable housing for the country’s poor. Read and discuss.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Thu, 09/06/2012 – 01:00

“Housing for All” in India focusing on the poor will remain a key electoral mandate for successive government irrespective of party affiliations. The only expectation with the upcoming national elections in India later this year 2014 is for a change in policy perspective to truly facilitate housing for the poor. There are workable and scalable housing solutions abound and the policy makers need only look at field practices to design policy that is flexible and accommodates these innovations rather than stifling them. Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Thu, 03/20/2014 – 08:22

It has been an interesting and intense week of strategic planning at the Global Land Tenure Network (GLTN) partner’s forum at The Hague. The Network was set up in 2008 under the UN Habitat with the objective of improving land and tenure rights. Over the last five years it has invested in tool development and engaged partner agencies in the training and delivery of capacities at the international, regional and national level. Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Fri, 11/15/2013 – 05:29

Slums in the census are defined as “residential areas where dwellings are unfit for human habitation” because they are dilapidated, cramped, poorly ventilated, unclean, or “any combination of these factors which are detrimental to the safety and health”. For the latest round, the census designated slums in three different ways – notified, recognized and identified (identified slums do not have legal status as a slum, but must consist of at least 60-70 tenements with at least 300 people). Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Wed, 10/09/2013 – 07:42

Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, speaking during India’s 66th independence day, admitted that the government has not done enough on skill building for India’s youth and announced the setting up of a national skill development agency (NSDA). Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Mon, 08/19/2013 – 05:52

This year we have been witness to two deadly building collapses. Or at least two have been widely covered by the media. The first one reported was in Thane (Mumbai), with a toll of 74 lives of mostly low-income renter families. The second one happened in Savar, Bangladesh. Over 700 people lost their lives. Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Mon, 06/10/2013 – 21:02

The term Private Public Partnerships (PPP) in India is a dirty one. While partnerships present an opportunity for stakeholder collaboration that generate value by pooling of complementary expertise and resources, the practice in India has meant subcontracting of tasks and strategy by public sector to the private sector with little accountability or responsibilities on outcomes. The only driver of the partnership has been project finance and profits. This has been especially true in housing or slum redevelopment schemes from Dharavi in Mumbai to Katputali colony in Delhi driven by PPPs between city governments and large private developers. Maximizing the value of land while delivering maximum number of low-income housing are contradictory and misleading national policy objectives with fatal social outcomes. Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Fri, 04/05/2013 – 04:51

The Indian nation is determined to meet its goal on financial inclusion. How financially inclusive is the city of Mumbai?

As the financial capital of the country, Mumbai, with a population of 18.8 million, has more than 1,600 bank branches. But when it comes to the poor and informal sector workforce, let’s see how it fares.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Tue, 03/12/2013 – 05:42

The self-construction opportunity: A bottom-up answer to low-income housing — Part II

This is a two-part blog on the self-construction housing opportunity in India’s informal settlements. Part II highlights innovations needed to address issues of safety and quality in self-constructed housing, guidelines circulated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and what we can do to make innovations and information more accessible to communities. Part I highlighted the urgency to acknowledge and facilitate the self-construction market and shared experiences from the mHS pilot.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Tue, 01/22/2013 – 08:20

Despite the Ministry of Housing revising the categories of urban poor (EWS) and low income (LIG) groups with annual incomes up to Rs 100,000 (USD 1800) and Rs 200,000 (USD 3600) per year respectively, the new estimates will still leave out 60% of Mumbai’s population from accessing the national government affordable housing programs. That is a hard measure to accept when the reality in Mumbai is that 2 in 3 people (or about 60%) live in substandard housing or lack security of tenure in current housing arrangements.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Sat, 01/12/2013 – 00:40

From such megacities as Delhi and Mumbai to smaller cities such as Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Dehradun, self-construction is visible throughout India, a country where over 60 percent of the urban poor live in settlements where units have been self-constructed. Contrary to popular belief, these settlements are not all “slums” as seen near railway stations or large drains, but a range of neighborhoods — including urban villages, unauthorized and planned colonies that vary both in terms of their legal status (right to sell, build, mortgage) and access to urban infrastructure and services. In the absence of scalable private and government housing initiatives, these low-income neighborhoods are the largest source of affordable housing for the country’s poor. Read and discuss.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Thu, 09/06/2012 – 01:00