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The Slum Upgrading Myth

Author

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  • Herbert Werlin

    (5910 Weschester Park Drive, College Park, Maryland 20740-2802, USA, werlin@crosslinknet)

Abstract

The World Bank's slum upgrading approach, used for the first generation of its urban development projects during the 1970s and 1980s, was considerably influenced by the writing of John F. C. Turner. Turner minimised the role of government, limiting it to providing essential environmental improvements and public services, thereby allowing squatters and/or slum-dwellers to improve gradually their living conditions. While early evaluations of slum upgrading projects in Calcutta, Jakarta and Manila indicated the success of this approach, later evaluations raise doubts about it. The 'minimal state' advocated by Turner is clearly unable to deal with the problems typically emerging from slum upgrading efforts. For these efforts to be sustainable and replicable, more attention must be paid to providing land tenure, requiring a combination of authoritarian and humanistic administration.

Suggested Citation

  • Herbert Werlin, 1999. "The Slum Upgrading Myth," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 36(9), pages 1523-1534, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:36:y:1999:i:9:p:1523-1534
    DOI: 10.1080/0042098992908
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Israel, A., 1992. "Issues for Infrastructure Management in the 1990s," World Bank - Discussion Papers 171, World Bank.
    2. Crane, Randall, 1994. "Water markets, market reform and the urban poor: Results from Jakarta, Indonesia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 71-83, January.
    3. Gabrielle Watson & N. Vijay Jagannathan, 1995. "Participation in the Water and Sanitation Sector," World Bank Publications - Reports 11660, The World Bank Group.
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    Cited by:

    1. Franklin, Simon, 2020. "Enabled to work: The impact of government housing on slum dwellers in South Africa," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    2. Lall, Somik V. & Suri, Ajay & Deichmann, Uwe, 2005. "Household savings and residential mobility in informal settlements," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3596, The World Bank.
    3. Andrea Rigon, 2014. "Building Local Governance: Participation and Elite Capture in Slum-upgrading in Kenya," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 45(2), pages 257-283, March.
    4. Arimah, C. Ben, 2010. "The Face of Urban Poverty Explaining the Prevalence of Slums in Developing Countries," WIDER Working Paper Series 030, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    5. Daniel M. Nzengya, 2018. "Improving water service to the urban poor through delegated management: Lessons from the city of Kisumu, Kenya," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 36(2), pages 190-202, March.
    6. Alan Gilbert, 2007. "The Return of the Slum: Does Language Matter?," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 697-713, December.
    7. George G. Wagah & Mathenge Mwehe & Nelson Obange & Peris Teyie & Maria Nystrom, 2017. "Land Tenure Systems in Kisumu City; The Formal-Informal Dichotomy," International Journal of Sciences, Office ijSciences, vol. 6(10), pages 32-42, October.

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