Name: The informal settlements reshaping the world
Uploaded: 2021-07-29T15:06:20Z
Duration: 13 min 21 s
Description: Creative, sustainable solutions find their home in the thousands of informal neighborhoods across the world. Urban planner Jota Samper believes these often overlooked settlements (also known as slums) should be regarded as hubs of innovation and shares three reasons why giving them the attention they deserve could help change the way humanity coexists -- and cities evolve -- on a global scale.

Creative, sustainable solutions find their home in the thousands of informal neighborhoods across the world. Urban planner Jota Samper believes these often overlooked settlements (also known as slums) should be regarded as hubs of innovation and shares three reasons why giving them the attention they deserve could help change the way humanity coexists -- and cities evolve -- on a global scale.

The informal settlements reshaping the world 

Informal settlements, often dismissed as slums, are home to over a billion people and grow by the size of a major city each year. Despite facing extreme poverty and invisibility, these communities create inventive solutions for survival and improvement. Grassroots innovations, such as self-built infrastructure and community banking, have shaped urban life well beyond their borders. Recognizing and learning from these neighborhoods can inspire new approaches to sustainability in cities worldwide.