Slum Essay

Literature Review

Slums were a distinctive feature of European and US cities during the Industrial Revolution. The principal attraction of squatting is the possibility of incremental development and building improvement which leads to a phased spreading of the costs. The urban edge is the societal impact zone where the centrifugal forces of the city collide with the implosion of the countryside (Romaya and Rakodi, 2003). Today’s slums pose a problem of a different nature: because of multiple market and policy failures and unsanitary conditions, life in the slum might constitute a form of poverty trap for a majority of their residents (Marx et al, 2013). Poor human capital and poor avenues for human capital investment lead to a lack of social mobility across generations of slum residents.

Slum removal programmes have come under considerable attack in recent years as it has become obvious that the removed population seldom relish their new accommodation. In the past, relocation has involved moving families to sites well outside the urban area, where many were unable to settle due to the lack of income-generating opportunities. Physical separation from jobs, schools and health clinics imposes economic burdens on the poor, many of whom reside on the urban periphery. Overcoming this physical separation often means devoting disproportionate shares of income to public transport fares and enduring long journeys. Besides shortening journeys and making social amenities more accessible, the connection between adequate transport solutions and the provision of public goods can promote more social interactions and when done properly, gives rise to urban form that is conducive to community building and ‘place making’(Global Human Settlements, 2...

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...formal banks for credit at low interest rates that allow them to repay loans in easy instalments.

Basic Municipal Services: The norms laid down for the provision of toilets must be adhered to and community toilets should be made available where private toilets cannot be provided, for which planning and operation must be done in partnership with the slum community. Regular and efficient solid waste management along with efficient drainage systems, are mandatory requirements. An efficient public transport system needs to be in place so that connectivity is improved, thus allowing for the inclusion of slum communities into the city.

Social Services: These include access to schools, health centres/hospitals, and social programmes for the poor. It requires proximity of schools and hospitals to the residence of the slum dwellers, along with provision of social security.