A Hidden World Within The Modern Megacity

'Shadow Cities,' a book by Robert Neuwirth. explores the world of illegal urban squatters in some of the world's largest megacities.

1 minute read

September 19, 2005, 6:00 AM PDT

By Brenda Meyer

"About a fifth of Rio de Janeiroâ€™s residents, half of Mumbaiâ€™s, and two-thirds of Nairobiâ€™s live as urban squatters, a category that includes an estimated 1 billion people around the world. They donâ€™t hold title to the land on which they live; they are loosely if at all regulated; they do not pay taxes; they seldom receive postal delivery, water, sewers, roads, or other public services; and, in general, they live with a minimal legal order...

Shadow Cities is at its best shining an investigative lens into areas of urban life that have seldom been described before. It is a wonderful story of the vitality and creativity of ordinary people who have managed to survive and sometimes even prosper in the face of government indifference if not hostility."

FULL STORY: Illegal Cities

Sunday, September 18, 2005 in Hawaii Reporter

Community / Economic Development Social / Demographics World

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