Examples of Slum Upgrading Projects
Project: Integrated upgrading programme in Alagados, a well-known favela (slum) in the city of Salvador (capital of the state of Bahia)
The Situation: Rapid urban growth following the discovery of oil in the mid-20th century caused a population boom in Salvador. Around one-third of the city’s total population lived in favelas. The district of Alagados was notorious as one of the worst areas in Brazil from an urban and environmental standpoint.
Partners: The State of Bahia, Cities Alliance, the World Bank, the Government of Italy, AVSI (an international development NGO) and more than 70 local community associations.
The Result: The integrated, participatory approach to upgrading adopted in the project resulted in a real difference in the lives of slum dwellers. This approach is being replicated statewide and has been incorporated into state policy.
Project: Technical cooperation on a citywide slum upgrading programme
The Situation: The largest city in Brazil, São Paulo attracted millions of immigrants during an industralisation boom from the 1950s to the 1980s. This rapid growth resulted in a proliferation of informal settlements, many on precarious land with no services.
Partners: Cities Alliance and the São Paulo Municipal Housing Secretariat (SEHAB)
The Result: The Municipality of São Paulo established the Bairro Legal (Legal Neighbourhood) Programme, an initiative providing security of tenure and improved living conditions for slum dwellers. The Municipality also created HABISP, a centralised database with information about the city’s precarious settlements that has become a valuable tool for urban development. HABISP has generated considerable interest internationally, and plans are underway to expand it to other cities in Brazil.
Project: Upgrading for Growth initiative that integrates energy, economic development and housing needs
The Situation: The third largest city in South Africa, Ekurhuleni was created in 2000 from nine local authorities. The new municipality struggled to deal with the huge social and economic disparities that resulted from social planning during apartheid. Around 65 percent of the city’s population were living in informal settlements or townships.
Partners: The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, Cities Alliance, the World Bank
The Result: The city has adopted an approach to slum upgrading that uses the upgrading process to drive sustainable economic development. Instead of focusing solely on housing for slum residents, the Upgrading for Growth approach involves providing opportunities for economic growth that meet the livelihood and social needs of the poor within Ekurhuleni’s informal settlements.