Planet of Slums

Available for over a year

PLANET OF SLUMS For the first time in the earth’s history more people live in cities than in the countryside, and recent figures from the United Nations show more than one billion people now live in the slums of cities in the Southern hemisphere. That figure is set to rise, with mega slums developing in Cono Sur (South America), Sadr City (Iraq) and the Cape Flats (South Africa). Laurie Taylor is joined by Mike Davis, author of a new book entitled Planet of Slums and Emeritus Professor of Urban Development at the University of London, Patrick Wakely to discuss the problem of urban slums in the developing world. Why are slums continuing to rise? Why are people fleeing the countryside although there are no jobs for them in the towns? And what, if any, are the chances of these gang run, crime infested, disease ridden slums being converted into the public housing that Europe managed to create.