Editing Slum (section)

{{use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{short description|Highly populated urban residential area consisting mostly of decrepit housing units}}
{{other uses}}
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{{Infobox
| title = Slums in various countries
| image = {{image array|perrow=3|width=115|height=85
| image1  = Kibera 5 2020.jpg| caption1 = [[Nairobi]], Kenya
| image2  = Bucharest ghetto.jpg| caption2 = [[Bucharest]], Romania
| image3  = Jakarta slumlife66.JPG| caption3 = [[Jakarta]], Indonesia
| image4  = Soweto township.jpg| caption4 = [[Johannesburg]], South Africa
| image5  = Morro_da_Providência.jpg| caption5 = [[Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil
| image7  = Slums of Egypt Cairo.jpg| caption7 = [[Cairo]], Egypt
| image8  = Mexico City suburbs Cuautepec.JPG| caption8 = [[Tlalnepantla de Baz]], Mexico
| image9  = China Slum December 2006.jpg| caption9 = [[Shanghai]], China
| image10 = KULUPWADI.jpg| caption10 = [[Mumbai]], India
| image11 =| caption11 = Little Mexico Colonia, Texas, United States
| image13 = Barrio Caracas.jpg| caption13 = [[Caracas]], Venezuela
| image14 = Ljubljana - AKC Metelkova (48754242383).jpg| caption14 = [[Ljubljana]], [[Slovenia]]
}}
}}
[[File:Sl2022.png|alt=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-of-urban-population-living-in-slums?time=latest|thumb|Share of urban population living in slums (2022)]]
A '''slum''' is a highly populated [[Urban area|urban]] [[residential area]] consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with [[poverty]]. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily inhabited by impoverished people.<ref name="whyslums">[http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/4625_51419_GC%2021%20What%20are%20slums.pdf "What are slums and why do they exist?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110206143558/http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/4625_51419_GC%2021%20What%20are%20slums.pdf |date=2011-02-06}} UN-Habitat, Kenya (April 2007)</ref> Although slums are usually located in [[urban area]]s, in some countries they can be located in [[suburban area]]s where housing quality is low and living conditions are poor.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Encyclopedia of the City |last=Caves |first=R. W. |publisher=Routledge |year=2004 |isbn=9780415252256 |page=601}}</ref> While slums differ in size and other characteristics, most lack reliable [[sanitation]] services, [[Water supply|supply of clean water]], reliable electricity, [[law enforcement]], and other basic services. Slum residences vary from [[shanty town|shanty]] houses to professionally built dwellings which, because of poor-quality construction or lack of basic maintenance, have deteriorated.<ref name="UN-Habitat 2007 Press Release">[http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/4625_51419_GC%2021%20What%20are%20slums.pdf UN-Habitat 2007 Press Release] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110206143558/http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/4625_51419_GC%2021%20What%20are%20slums.pdf |date=2011-02-06}} on its report, "The Challenge of Slums: Global Report on Human Settlements 2003".</ref>

Due to increasing urbanization of the general populace, slums became common in the 19th to late 20th centuries in the United States and Europe.<ref name="Lawrence Vale 2007">Lawrence Vale (2007), ''From the Puritans to the Projects: Public Housing and Public Neighbors'', Harvard University Press, {{ISBN|978-0674025752}}</ref>{{page needed|date=October 2024}}<ref name="Ashton2006">{{cite journal |pmc=2588079 |first1=J R |last1=Ashton |year=2006 |title=Back to back housing, courts, and privies: the slums of 19th century England |journal=Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health |volume=60 |issue=8 |page=654}}</ref> Slums are still predominantly found in urban regions of [[developing countries]], but are also still found in developed economies.<ref name="Slums: Past, Present and Future">[https://web.archive.org/web/20130921055319/http://www.unhabitat.org/documents/media_centre/sowcr2006/SOWCR%204.pdf "Slums: Past, Present and Future"] United Nations Habitat (2007)</ref><ref name="grhs2003">[https://web.archive.org/web/20130921055009/http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/grhs.2003.key.pdf "The challenge of slums – Global report on Human Settlements"], United Nations Habitat (2003)</ref> The world's largest slum city is found in [[Orangi]] in [[Karachi]], Pakistan.<ref>Mike Davis, ''Planet of Slums'' [« Le pire des mondes possibles : de l'explosion urbaine au bidonville global »], La Découverte, Paris, 2006 ({{ISBN|978-2-7071-4915-2}})</ref>{{page needed|date=October 2024}}<ref>Daniel Tovrov (December 9, 2011). [http://www.ibtimes.com/5-biggest-slums-world-381338 "5 Biggest Slums in the World"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921084023/http://www.ibtimes.com/5-biggest-slums-world-381338 |date=2013-09-21}}, ''International Business Times''.</ref><ref>Craig Glenday, editor. ''Guinness World Records''. 2013. Bantam. {{ISBN|978-0-345-54711-8}}. Page 277.</ref>

Slums form and grow in different parts of the world for many different reasons. Causes include rapid [[Rural flight|rural-to-urban migration]], economic stagnation and depression, high unemployment, poverty, informal economy, forced or manipulated ghettoization, poor planning, politics, natural disasters, and social conflicts.<ref name="whyslums" /><ref>Patton, C. (1988). ''Spontaneous shelter: International perspectives and prospects''. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.</ref>{{page needed|date=October 2024}}<ref name="grhs2011" /> Strategies tried to reduce and transform slums in different countries, with varying degrees of success, include a combination of slum removal, slum relocation, slum upgrading, urban planning with citywide infrastructure development, and public housing.<ref name="unh2007a" /><ref>Mona Serageldin, Elda Solloso, and Luis Valenzuela (March 2006). [http://www.globalurban.org/GUDMag06Vol2Iss1/Serageldin,%20Solloso,%20&%20Valenzuela.htm "Local Government Actions to Reduce Poverty and Achieve The Millennium Development Goals"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022014457/http://www.globalurban.org/GUDMag06Vol2Iss1/Serageldin%2C%20Solloso%2C%20%26%20Valenzuela.htm |date=2019-10-22}}. ''Global Urban Development Magazine'', Vol 2, Issue 1.</ref>

The UN defines slums as<ref>{{cite web |url=https://databank.worldbank.org/metadataglossary/world-development-indicators/series/EN.POP.SLUM.UR.ZS |title=Population living in slums |access-date=May 15, 2022 |publisher=United Nations}}</ref> <blockquote>.... informal settlements lacking one or more of the following conditions: access to improved water, access to improved sanitation, sufficient living area, housing durability, and security of tenure</blockquote>