Improving Living Conditions of the Informal Settlements in the Global South Cities

This side event aims to discuss how cities are dealing with slums and informal settlements and its main challenges, as well as to identify the best ways to implement the corresponding guidelines presented in the New Urban Agenda.According to World Health Organization, almost 828 million people live in slum conditions, representing around one third of the world’s urban population. These residential areas are characterized by a lack of security of tenure, scarcity of basic services, public space and green areas and the absence of compliance with the formal arrangements of urban planning. The residents of these areas usually suffer more spatial, social and
economic exclusion from the urban services and opportunities. They express fear for their children’s lives due to the location of their homes, and also face each day multiple types of risk, like natural hazards, violence, and diseases.Considerable investment have already been made to improve the live conditions in the slums, such as the provision of basic services as housing, streets, footpaths, drainage, clean water, sanitation, and sewage disposal, education and health care. Efforts are also been made in legalizing or regularizing properties and bringing secure land tenure to residents. However, the investments done in a neighborhood may cause gentrification, which is another important issue to discuss when it comes to slum upgrading.Representatives of local governments, international organizations and specialists are going to debate the priorities for slum upgrading, measurement of the upgrading policies effects, land tenure and the inclusion of the informal settlements in the urban planning.It is expected that thisevent contributes to establish a channelfor future debate and best practices exchange, and also to the trail to develop a framework for practical implementation of the slum upgrading guidelines stated in the New Urban Agenda.