Slums: perspectives on the definition, the appraisal and the management of an urban phenomenon

Authors

  • Henning Nuissl Geographisches Institut der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin
  • Dirk Heinrichs Institute of Transport Research, German Aerospace Center, Rutherfordstr. 2, 12489 Berlin

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12854/erde-144-8

Keywords:

Slum, definition of slum, perspectives of slums, approaches to slums

Abstract

The contribution provides a basic introduction to the topic. It outlines the term ‘slum’, details the challenges associated with this form of settlement in the literature and the public opinion, and profiles the development approaches and solutions to overcome the problems associated with the slum phenomenon. The principal aim of the article is to illustrate that there are different approaches to define, assess and solve the problems of informal settlements and their inhabitants. The paper emphasises the complexity and variety of slums worldwide as well as the controversial perspectives adopted towards them. It shows how the normative framing of different actors associated with the ‘slums of hope’ and the ‘slums of despair’ and shaped strategies and action to resolve and overcome the material, social and institutional challenges of the slums.

Downloads

Published

2013-11-19

How to Cite

Nuissl, H., & Heinrichs, D. (2013). Slums: perspectives on the definition, the appraisal and the management of an urban phenomenon. DIE ERDE – Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin, 144(2), 105–116. https://doi.org/10.12854/erde-144-8

Issue

Vol. 144 No. 2 (2013): Slum tourism

Section

Review articles

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.