Slums have been present in developing cities landscapes for quite some time and while central and local governments continue their quest for making their cities slum-free, the overall outcome of slum policies is in most cases unknown or unclear. Some studies have revealed that slum policies might have unforeseen side-effects such as poverty recycling: where poor slum dwellers aren't able to maintain new living conditions and sell/rent their dwelling moving back to the slum. By 2030-2040, estimates suggest that there will be 2 billion slum dwellers and slums will be housing about one third of the total urban population (United Nations, 2007). The recognition of slums as a menace to the ―planned city‖ along with their high correlation with poverty have made slum improvement a priority for many local governments and international organizations. Slum and housing policies have multiplied, bringing new waves of thinking and original solutions that consider much more than just a house. Furthermore, recent studies have revealed that slum policies, by changing the living environment, might trigger other important positive changes as well as some unwanted side-effects. Among the stated benefits of slum policies are poverty reduction, higher gender equality, better access to credit and higher income generation.
URL : 20140507121915.pdf