Confronting the Crisis in Urban Poverty

* An up-to-date analysis of the problem and characteristics of urban poverty in developing countries * Addresses the political challenge of the low profile of urban development in current global debates This book presents a systematic comparative analysis of a range of integrated approaches to urban development supported and promoted by leading NGOs. It asks how successful have these been in tackling the multi-dimensional nature of urban poverty, when compared with neighbouring settlements where no interventions have taken place? Was the approach cost-effective, and what is the potential for spreading the approach? The challenge of urban poverty is growing every year. It is predicted that over 95% of global population growth between 2000 and 2030 will take place in the cities of the developing world. If current trends continue, the huge majority of those will end up in slums. Tackling urban poverty, however, has had a lower profile than other Millenium Development Goals - despite the efforts of major players such as UN-Habitat. This book makes a case for approaches to urban development which are locally-driven and which complement the vast investments and efforts of slum-dwellers themselves. It discusses a range of approaches for achieving that, focusing on practical experiences and clear lessons for the future.