Urban Development and Informal Settlements

About 200 million people in Africa live in informal settlements. As the continent’s cities face rapid growth, governments are facing the challenge of how to ensure adequate housing. Astrid R.N. Haas, who recently published a paper for the Pathfinders Grand Challenge on Inequality and Exclusion on how to make informal housing better talked with Voice of America about her research.

“Planning for these settlements before people come allows populations to settle in more orderly manners. If we have the infrastructure, we avoid some of the pitfalls we saw in settlements during the pandemic.”

Watch the full interview at Voice of America here.