Slums come in all shapes, sizes and have various names, yet they all mean the same thing: an overcrowded residential urban area characterised by below standard housing, poor basic services and squalor. The word ‘slum’ first came into use in the 1820s.

Oct 19, 2016 · Around a quarter of the world’s urban population lives in slums. And this figure is rising fast. The number of slum dwellers in developing countries increased from 689 million in 1990 to 880 million in 2014, according to the United Nations World Cities Report 2016.

Slum households are most prevalent across Sub-Saharan Africa; in most countries, more than half of the urban populations live in slum households, and in some (such as Chad) around 8 in 10 people live in slum households.

Mar 29, 2025 · Slum, Densely populated area of substandard housing, usually in a city, characterized by unsanitary conditions and social disorganization. Rapid industrialization in 19th-century Europe was accompanied by rapid population growth and the concentration of working-class people in overcrowded, poorly

That urban slums and squatter settlements are not inevitable is evident in cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore. The following discussion focuses on the effective link established between planned economic development, urban growth, and housing, which has addressed slum formation in …

Urbanization might also force some people to live in slums when it influences land use by transforming agricultural land into urban areas and increases land value. During the process of urbanization, some agricultural land is used for additional urban activities.

Nov 12, 2017 · This paper explores the slums and its characteristics, and how they are manifesting urban poverty with denial of equality and social justice, and approaches to this problem.

Jun 27, 2024 · Urban slums are a stark reminder of the socio-economic disparities that exist within our cities. Understanding the concept and characteristics of slums allows us to appreciate the challenges faced by millions of people living in these areas.

Slums represent one of the main types of housing in many growing urban cities from Kibera in Nairobi, to New Delhi and Manila. The effects of poverty related to the growth of slums span everything from poor health to education.

Slums are the most notable extreme of the spatial concentration of urban poverty and disadvantage. ... The current speed of urbanization in developing countries makes urban governance and adequate ...