Squatter cities

Robert Neuwirth gets down and dirty 4

While the housing market here gets ever more media attention, over one billion people -- a sixth of the world's population -- live in "squatter cities," where deeds and titles to land are non-existent.

A closer look at the media, however, reveals this column today on that very subject. Carol Lloyd reviews "Shadow Cities," by Robert Neuwirth, a fascinating first-hand account of four of these squatter cities (I would be remiss if I did not note the coverage it got over at WorldChanging as well).

Among other things, Neuwirth:

  • notes that in some places, "squatter infrastructure" rivals the official infrastructure;
  • highlights the fact that these cities have simply developed on their own, free of government control until attempts are made to shut them down; and
  • contrasts the notion of property in squatter cities with American notions (Carol Lloyd expounds on this in her article).

(And there's no way to do his work justice with three bullet points, so I apologize for that.)

The lessons here for cities in the developed world are many; I'm still trying to get a handle on them myself. Neuwirth is "perhaps the first journalist to travel the globe living in the most deprived and violent shantytowns." I'd love to be the second.

In addition to the book, Neuwirth also has a blog on squatter cities. Lloyd's article, Neuwirth's blog and lecture, and the coverage at WorldChanging all provide excellent further reading.

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  1. amazingdrx Posted 11:17 pm
    17 Jun 2005

    Great story!This living without ownership of the land brings up an idea I have had.
    I envision nature conservancy areas that feature large windpower systems that feed power back into the grid and at the same time provide low impact high tech camping for voluntarilly homeless people.
    The wind power would pay the taxes and upkeep, and provide green energy for the residents.  
    Students, young families starting out, retirees traveling and camping, and just dedicated nature lovers could use these living areas to save money for school, to buy homes, or just to have a low energy and consumption impact on the environment.
    Make homelessness voluntary and patriotic, saving energy for the good of all of US!  And an added benefit is green energy for the national power grid and more land under conservation.
    The impact on the land itself from camping could be minimized with portable platforms for tents that have built in wind electric heat, power, water, internet access, and bike/ski trails for physical access.
    Electric buses with area for bikes and gear could provide access to and from the camping area to mass transportation, allowing car free living and travel.
    Residents  could even rent cars to go from area to area...cruising the country's natural beauty and staying in one area for days or years before moving on.
    It's a radically low impact solution that many people would love!

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  2. mikee Posted 6:28 pm
    18 Jun 2005

    Probably not the firstI read a book last year that deals with just these sorts of issues, from the perspective of continuing poverty in "developing" countries. The book, "The Mystery of Capital" by Hernando de Soto, is overly tedious and not terribly well written, but de Soto's basic conclusions and the evidence he provides to support them, are fascinating and hugely important. Essentially, he argues that legal structures that allow capital to be put to economic use are what separate the rich world from the not-rich world.
    So, I suspect that Neuwirth really isn't the first "journalist" to live in "squatter" cities. And I really do recommend reading de Soto's conclusions. His organisations's website is http://www.ild.org.pe/

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  3. jdhlax Posted 5:05 am
    19 Jun 2005

    No One Owns The EarthPutting economic and social issues aside, the concepts of landlords and land ownership should be eliminated for ecological reasons.  Landlords are a needless holdover from feudalism, and the concept helps  no one except those who already have money and power.  The idea of owning land is anti-nature and reeks of hubris, if not human meglomania.  If anyting, the land owns us.  Read what some Native Americans have to say on the subject.  The Native American cultures did not recognize the concept of land ownership.

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  4. amazingdrx Posted 2:13 am
    20 Jun 2005

    Tribal.Yep, that tribal feeling might return with humans migrating and camping out to save energy and mother earth.

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