CORE READINGS

Davis, M. (2006) Planet of Slums. USA: Verso. Saunders, D. (2011) Arrival City: How the largest migration in history is reshaping our world. New York: Pantheon Books.

It is good to read these two popular books together. They are both easy to read and have received significant attention. They tell very different stories of informal settlement processes in the developing world. Planet of Slums is a doomsday critique of prevailing urbanisation and economic processes that result in the alarming and unchecked expansion of informal settlements, which are portrayed in a wholly negative light. In contrast, Arrival City paints a picture of human ingenuity and persistence in the face of adversity. Informal settlement residents seek a foothold in the city and make the best of their situation in the hope of a better future.

Boonyabancha, S. and Mitlin, D. (2012) ‘Urban poverty reduction: learning by doing in Asia’, Environment and Urbanization, 24 (2), pp.403-421.

http://eau.sagepub.com/content/24/2/403

This paper provides a grassroots view of informal settlement upgrading in Asia through community action. It reflects on the Asian Coalition for Community Action (ACCA) programme that was initiated by the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR) in 2009. ACCA seeks to catalyse and support community initiatives, citywide upgrading and partnerships between community organisations and local governments. It explores two underlying dimensions of the experience: first, the creation of institutions based on relations of reciprocity; and second, the strengthening of relations between lowincome community organisations such that they can create a synergy with government actors.

Gouverneur, D. (2014) Planning and Design for Future Informal Settlements: Shaping the Self-Constructed City. London and New York: Routledge.

This book explores informal settlements at a global scale. It places informal settlements within their broader urban context and argues for the need to address a range of urban planning and governance issues, including land use, energy efficiency, water management, and community participation. The case studies show how these approaches play out across various contexts. It shows the opportunities to harness the energy of the informal sector to address many complex challenges while also reasserting that built environment professionals have a role to play in improving liveability and wellbeing in urban informal settlements.

Suggested open-source core readings: https://unhabitat.org/books/a-practicalguide-to-designing-planning-and-executingcitywide-slum-upgrading-programmes/

UN-Habitat (2015) A Practical Guide to Designing, Planning, and Executing Citywide Slum Upgrading Programmes. Nairobi: UN-Habitat.

This Guide advocates for a citywide approach to slum upgrading which represents a fundamental shift from piecemeal project interventions to a citywide programme approach. The Guide provides an overview of slum growth in different regions of the world and explains actions and steps to design and implement a citywide, participatory upgrading program.

Environment and Urbanization (1989) ‘Beyond the stereotype of ‘slums’’, Environment and Urbanization, 1(2), pp. 2-5. Doi: 10.1177/095624788900100201 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ pdf/10.1177/095624788900100201