Realizing the Potential of Urban Slums

Judith A. Hermanson, PhDSenior Fellow

Presented at International Housing Coalition Networking EventWORLD URBAN FORUM V

March 22, 2010Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

What is InterAction?

• Association of US INGOs working in development and humanitarian assistance

• 200 members• $6 billion private funds raised annually• Community level focus

InterAction’s 2010 Goals

• Pro-poor Advocacy in US Foreign Assistance• Demonstrate and enhance NGO accountability

and impact• Serve as major representative of US INGOs to

build alliances and strategic partnerships and extend networks of NGOs around the world.

Provide Focus on Development Issues

• Accelerating Urban Growth

• Unsustainable living conditions

• Micro and Macro impacts

• Reality of an “urban planet”

“Urban Myths”

• Urbanization patterns are the same• Most urban growth is in mega cities• Urban poor are a minority in cities• Urban poor are a burden to cities• Urbanization causes degraded environment• Controlling rural to urban migration is answer

INTERACTION: A RESOURCE AND FORCE FOR URBAN CHANGE!

Slum UpgradingFocus

• Urban Poor are Untapped Asset• Increasing urban growth is increasing poverty• Inter-related sectors and interventions can be

harmonized to have greater impact

Ingredients for Success

• Community level “ownership” and participation

• Integrated, multi-sector interventions in accordance with priorities

• Physical upgrading reinforced by socio-economic inputs

• Importance of economic stimulation and jobs

Urban Slum Upgrading as Policy

• Redresses poverty• Makes cities healthier, more humane• Strengthens overall urban economic, societal

and political foundation• Meaningful investment of political and

financial capital in a city’s future

Ingredients for Success

• Political Will• Financial Resources• Supple, agile systems for resource flow

Urban SlumUpgrading as Policy

• Relationship to the city as a whole• Individual particularity and characteristics

• Immense untapped resource!

SystematicCapacity Building

Observation: To impact urban development on any significant

scale, capable and responsive local organizations are key

Components:– Community Planning– Capacity through Action– Linkages and Networks– The “spaces in between”– Advocacy– Resource mobilization– Local government

New Tools

– Private sector potential

– Business models and processes

– New technologies for old problems

InterAction at WUF V

• Launched an Urban Poverty Initiative• Mapping practice and lessons learned• Linking to networks• Creating new pathways• Looking for partners in this process

OBRIGADA!