Politics of slums in the global south: urban informality in Brazil, India, South Africa an / edited by Veronique Dupont ...[at al.]

Introduction : situating the politics of slums within the "urban turn" / Einar Braathen, Véronique Dupont, David Jordhus-Lier and Catherine Sutherland --
National and urban contexts of the settlement cases : an overview --
Policies towards substandard settlements / Catherine Sutherland, Einar Braathen, Véronique Dupont and David Jordhus-Lier --
Settlement stories I : a question of knowledge? / Véronique Dupont and M.M. Shankare Gowda, David Jordhus-Lier and Pamela Tsolekile de Wet, Catherine Sutherland, Einar Braathen, Lisa Strauch and Michaela Hordijk --
Knowledge and power in upgrading and resettlement initiatives / David Jordhus-Lier, Einar Braathen, David Jordhus-Lier, Véronique Dupont and Catherine Sutherland --
Settlement stories II : communities' responses / Einar Braathen, Catherine Sutherland, David Jordhus-Lier, Lisa Strauch and Michaela Hordijk, Véronique Dupont and R. Dhanalakshmi --
Modalities of social mobilisation in substandard settlements / Véronique Dupont, David Jordhus-Lier, Einar Braathen and Catherine Sutherland --
Conclusion / Catherine Sutherland, David Jordhus-Lier, Einar Braathen and Véronique Dupont.

Seeing urban politics from the perspective of those who reside in slums offers an important dimension to the study of urbanism in the global South. Many people living in sub-standard conditions do not have their rights as urban citizens recognised and realise that they cannot rely on formal democratic channels or governance structures. Through in-depth case studies and comparative research, The Politics of Slums in the Global South: Urban Informality in Brazil, India, South Africa and Peru integrates conceptual discussions on urban political dynamics with empirical material from research undertaken in Rio de Janeiro, Delhi, Chennai, Cape Town, Durban and Lima. The chapters engage with the relevant literature and present empirical material on urban governance and cities in the South, housing policy for the urban poor, the politics of knowledge and social mobilisation. Recent theories on urban informality and subaltern urbanism are explored, and the issue of popular participation in public interventions is critically assessed. The book is aimed at a scholarly readership of postgraduate students and researchers in development studies, urban geography, political science, urban sociology and political geography. It is also of great value to urban decision-makers and practitioners.