Urban poverty, issues, policies and actions

Abstract

“Urban poverty and its attendant human cost is perhaps the single greatest challenge of our time. The future of our towns and cities, which is where most humanity will live in the next century, hinges on our tackling it successfully. The centerpiece of urban policy as we enter the 21st Century must therefore be the struggle against poverty, with goals such as the integration of the informal city, the recovery and democratic use of public space, and the reversal of the trend towards the concentration of wealth and opportunities, which so often ends in a spiral of violence…. “The struggle against urban poverty is a world challenge. To succeed, we need to tap the experience of individuals and organizations in the South as well as in the North, promoting an exchange that, more than the answers, will teach us what questions to ask. To this end, people living in poverty must take part in communications networks, which are often monopolized by intermediaries and experts. The role of experts is important, but mechanisms should be developed to facilitate direct, horizontal, global exchange…. “Such horizontal, direct contacts must involve local governments, the pivate sector, non-governmental and community organizations. And if public pollicies are to respond to real needs, these must be built out of experience, and their formulation and implementation must involve the people for whom they are intended…. “To do this, safety nets are not enough. Let us resolve to invest in the struggle against urban poverty, to invest in the poor themselves. Let us help people confronted with poverty in their efforts. New means of communication and successful experiences demonstrate that this can be done in a demoy-lXcratic and affordable manner. The struggle against poverty cannot be relegated to second-class expertise and technology. It is a huge challenge. It deserves the best.” (’Recife Declaration March 1996 Habitat II on ‘Urban Poverty-a World Challenge’).