Situating slums

Abstract

This paper comprises two intertwined reflective threads—my own engagements with and perceptions of different phases of Alan Gilbert's work, and a critical perspective on ‘slum(dog) fever’—the recent and often decontextualised fixation on slums, with which Alan has engaged. The first section briefly surveys Alan Gilbert's contributions to the broader Geography, Development and Housing literatures, situating them in the context of evolving debates and policy agendas. This sets the scene for a more detailed discussion of changing definitions and discourses around the concept of ‘slums’ and Alan's recent interventions about the resuscitation or re-emergence of ‘cities without slums’ agendas. The third section of the paper addresses the challenge of scale, exploring how data, (tele)visual depictions, discourses and policy debates about slums and their inhabitants transcend—or perhaps transgress—geographical scales in often simplistic and culturally deterministic ways, not least through popular films like Slumdog Millionaire. Finally, the focus shifts to the uniqueness or distinctiveness of individual slums as places, homes and sites of identity and citizenship formation, citing particular iconic examples from the literature and media.