Two images have dominated the northern media in recent months.The first is of desolation in remote, rural areas in Africa affected by drought, conflict or famine, such as in Somalia, northern Kenya or Darfur, Sudan. The second is a different kind of desolation - that of urban squalor as portrayed in the film «The Constant Gardener». Nairobi's Kibera, which provides a backdrop for the film, is a bustling shantytown with a population of ca.

This case study analysis forms part of the publication series “Unpacking metropolitan governance” that documents experiences and gives hands-on approaches for stakeholders in the field of sustainable development of metropolitan regions. 

The New Urban Agenda represents a shared vision for a better and more sustainable future – one in which all people have equal rights and access to the benefits and opportunities that cities can offer, and in which the international community reconsiders the urban systems and physical form of our urban spaces to achieve this.

Countries throughout the world are rapidly urbanising, particularly in the developing world, and for the first time in human history, the majority of people today are no longer living in rural areas, but rather in cities. This report examines the worldwide phenomenon of urbanisation from the point of view of women’s housing rights.

Dhaka is the fastest growing mega-city in the world, attracting an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 mostly poor migrants a year. This paper argues that urgent measures are required to address the vital needs of the city's rapidly growing urban poor. Based on a comprehensive analysis of poverty in Dhaka, it aims to provide the basis for an urban poverty reduction strategy for the Government of Bangladesh, local authorities, donors and NGOs. The study focuses on analysing the characteristics and dynamics of poverty, employment, land and housing, basic services, and crime and violence.

Este texto apresenta algumas ideias relacionadas com os processos de (re)construção das identidades familiares, suscitadas no decorrer de uma investigação sobre estratégias de sobrevivência e reprodução social de famílias da periferia de Maputo. Introduzindo o texto com uma caracterização geral das estratégias mencionadas, de modo a fundamentar a importância da compreensão da dimensão identitária na sua análise, a autora analisa alguns dos processos simbólicos através dos quais se reconstroem e se perpetuam as identidades familiares no universo de estudo.

A Conferência Popular pelo Direito à Cidade é resultado deste novo momento das lutas urbanas. A adesão de mais de 600 movimentos populares, entidades, coletivos, grupos de direitos humanos e acadêmicos é prova de que algo novo está nascendo. Foram 230 eventos preparatórios em todo o país, reunindo milhares de pessoas.

The webinar Land Rights for Slum Dwellers in the East Indian State Odisha: Making technology work for the urban poor took place on 14 February, 2018. 

The webinar discussed anecdotes of the land rights policy in the state, application of innovative technology, processes and partnerships in the project execution and best practices followed in gaining rights for slum dwellers. 

This report provides a brief summary of the webinar dialogue and the main points that emerged.

Four years ago, I was part of a research team looking at access to land and basic services in informal settlements.

We conducted field interviews in Mukuru slums in Eastlands. We were amazed at the levels of development in the area. People were constructing permanent structures despite the fact that they were under the impression that informal settlements are characterised by temporary structures.

Four years later, there are ongoing discussions to address the plight of informal settlements. A fundamental starting point is to address issues of tenure security.

Forced evictions are widespread in Kenyan cities and are, on the surface, caused by conflicts in land rights, non–payment of excessive land and house rents, and urban redevelopment. But, more fundamentally, evictions are due to factors embedded in the country’s political economy, in particular, the grossly inequitable land ownership structure which makes it difficult for the poor to access land and decent shelter. Evictions cause significant socioeconomic hardship to individuals, affecting cities and whole nations.