Search Results (30)

In pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’s objective of eliminating slum cities, the government of Indonesia has initiated a survey-based slum mapping program. Unfortunately, recent observations have highlighted considerable inconsistencies in the mapping process. These inconsistencies can be attributed to various factors, including variations in the expertise of surveyors and the intricacies of the indicators employed to characterize slum conditions. Consequently, reliable data is lacking, which poses a significant barrier to effective monitoring of slum upgrading programs. Remote sensing (RS)-based approaches, particularly those employing deep learning (DL) techniques, have emerged as a highly effective and accurate method for identifying slum areas. However, the reliance on RS alone is likely to encounter challenges in complex urban environments. A substantial body of research has previously identified the merits of integrating land surface data with RS. Therefore, this study seeks to combine remote sensing imagery (RSI) with street view imagery (SVI) for the purpose of slum mapping and compare its accuracy with a field survey conducted in 2024. The city of Bandung is a pertinent case study, as it is facing a considerable increase in population density. These slums collectively encompass approximately one-tenth of Bandung City’s population as of 2020. The present investigation evaluates the mapping results obtained from four distinct deep learning (DL) networks: The first category comprises FCN, which utilizes RSI exclusively, and FCN-DK, which also employs RSI as its sole input. The second category consists of two networks that integrate RSI and SVI, namely FCN and FCN-DK. The findings indicate that the integration of RSI and SVI enhances the precision of slum mapping in Bandung City, particularly when employing the FCN-DK network, achieving an accuracy of 86.25%. The results of the mapping process employing a combination of the FCN-DK network, which utilizes the RSI and SVI, indicate the presence of 2294 light slum points and 29 medium slum points. It should be noted that the outcomes are contingent upon the methodological approach employed, the accessibility of the dataset, and the training data that mirrors the distribution of slums in 2020 and the specific degree of its integration within the FCN network. The FCN-DK model, which integrates RSI and SVI, demonstrates enhanced performance in comparison to the other models examined in this study. Full article

Rapid urbanization has led to significant demographic shifts and environmental challenges worldwide, with a growing portion of the urban population living in slums. This study investigates the impact of an urban slum upgrading program on pro-environmental behaviors and health-oriented mindsets among residents in Surakarta City, Indonesia. Specifically, it aims to reveal how pro-environmental behaviors, house satisfaction, health-oriented behaviors, and sustainability beliefs manifest within this unique socio-cultural setting. A representative survey was conducted among 327 residents of newly renovated urban slum housing. Additionally, cluster analysis with the Silhouette method was performed to identify distinct demographic and social ‘personalities’ characterized by pro-environmental and health-oriented mindsets within the heterogeneous population across three observed districts. The findings show that while strong beliefs in sustainability are common, there is a gap in translating these beliefs into action, as evidenced by low engagement with recycling and waste-burning avoidance. Furthermore, four clusters with unique profiles emerged: (1) residents dissatisfied with housing but proactive in sustainability (23.3%); (2) health-focused residents satisfied with housing but less engaged in sustainability (5.8%); (3) residents content with housing but low on health awareness and moderate in sustainability beliefs (46.8%); and (4) residents with strong sustainability beliefs but minimal pro-environmental actions (24.1%). This study offers valuable insights for policymakers to guide urban slum upgrading programs with targeted interventions addressing the unique characteristics among the residents. These findings are vital for creating a sustainable urban environment and preventing upgraded areas from reverting to slum conditions. Full article

Refugee camps are typically designed as temporary sustainable settlements, prioritizing logistics over cultural considerations, which can lead to environments being misaligned with the lived experiences of displaced populations. This study addresses the challenge of traditional humanitarian camp designs that prioritize logistical efficiency over cultural and socio-cultural needs, leading to environments that do not align with the lived experiences of displaced populations. Focusing on the Zaatari Syrian Refugee Camp in Jordan, the research employs a structured questionnaire distributed among 102 households to investigate how refugees have reconfigured the camp’s original grid layout into more cohesive clustered patterns, informed by the principles of defensible space theory. Key findings reveal that refugees actively transform public courtyards into semi-private spaces, driven by cultural imperatives and safety needs. Statistical analyses confirm significant correlations between clustering behaviors and the attributes of defensible space, particularly the zones of influence and boundary demarcation, enhancing community resilience and accessibility. However, the study finds a limited predictive power overall, indicating that while these adaptations are significant, factors such as natural surveillance and territorial behavior do not exhibit strong influences on clustering dynamics. These findings have important implications for humanitarian planning and design. They highlight the necessity for more culturally sensitive and flexible approaches that prioritize refugee agencies and communal identity in camp layouts. This research advocates for a hybrid planning approach that integrates socio-cultural values, promoting resilience and quality of life among refugees. By aligning spatial designs with the social and cultural realities of refugee communities, humanitarian actors can enhance the effectiveness of their interventions, ultimately contributing to more sustainable and inclusive urban environments as part of broader goals related to urban planning and development. Future research is encouraged to explore these practices in diverse refugee contexts, providing further validation of these findings and enhancing the applicability of these design principles in global humanitarian efforts. Full article

Beyond conserving urban heritage, the concept of historic urban landscapes (HULs) aims to tackle poverty and inequality, as well as to improve the quality of human settlements, through a people-centered approach in the context of rapid urbanization. This paper demonstrates the adaption of HUL tools and methodologies to investigate a slum in a historical city—the informal settlements along the Mae Kha Canal in Chiang Mai. An on-site field survey of the characteristics of the settlement’s composition and interviews with stakeholders, local authorities, and inhabitants were conducted. The analysis revealed that there is a gap between the desired strategy of the Mae Kha Canal agenda and the actual conditions of the location. The aforementioned contrast is discussed to suggest alternate options for upgrading the informal community while preserving its ancient walls, in line with HUL principles. The conclusion highlights the benefits of introducing the HUL approach in a slum setting and provides recommendations for deteriorated neighborhoods elsewhere that are either surrounded by or adjacent to historical features needing resilience. Full article

Slums are a structural feature of urbanization, and shifting urbanization trends underline their significance for the cities of tomorrow. Despite their importance, data and knowledge on slums are very limited. In consideration of the current data landscape, it is not possible to answer one of the most essential questions: Where are slums located? The goal of this study is to provide a more nuanced understanding of the geography of slums and their growth trajectories. The methods rely on the combination of different datasets (city-level slum maps, world cities, global human settlements layer, Atlas of Informality). Slum data from city-level maps form the backbone of this research and are made compatible by differentiating between the municipal area, the urbanized area, and the area beyond. This study quantifies the location of slums in 30 cities, and our findings show that only half of all slums are located within the administrative borders of cities. Spatial growth has also shifted outwards. However, this phenomenon is very different in different regions of the world; the municipality captures less than half of all slums in Africa and the Middle East but almost two-thirds of all slums in cities of South Asia. These insights are used to estimate land requirements within the Sustainable Development Goals time frame. In 2015, almost one billion slum residents occupied a land area as large as twice the size of the country of Portugal. The estimated 380 million residents to be added up to 2030 will need land equivalent to the size of the country of Egypt. This land will be added to cities mainly outside their administrative borders. Insights are provided on how this land demand differs within cities and between world regions. Such novel insights are highly relevant to the policy actions needed to achieve Target 11.1 of the Sustainable Development Goals (“by 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services, and upgrade slums”) as interventions targeted at slums or informal settlements are strongly linked to political and administrative boundaries. More research is needed to draw attention to the urban expansion of cities and the role of slums and informal settlements. Full article

Research on shantytown transformation in the context of building sustainable human settlements has tended to concentrate on macro and objective factors. However, there is still room for expanding research on the livelihoods of residents in transformed poor communities of resource-based cities. This study is based on household survey data after the coal mine shantytown transformation in Datong, China, and uses the entropy method and Logit regression model to analyze the livelihood level and impact of livelihood capital on the choice of livelihood strategies of the residents after shantytown transformation. Based on the development characteristics of the Datong coal mining community, the traditional sustainable livelihood analysis framework is improved, constructing a livelihood capital evaluation system including natural capital, physical capital, financial capital, social capital, human capital and cultural capital. The research indicates that the livelihoods of the residents after shantytown transformation are in a state of low-value aggregation and differentiation, their livelihood strategies are still dependent on coal mining, financial capital and cultural capital have significant positive impacts on the residents’ livelihood strategies of choosing coal mine-related industries, and males and elderly people have a greater likelihood of choosing coal mine-related industries. This study provides micro-level explanations for the livelihood status and livelihood strategy choices of residents after shantytown transformation in a resource-based city and provides policy enlightenment for local governments on how to promote the sustainable development of residents in coal mining communities. Full article

Approximately 1 billion people worldwide currently inhabit slum areas. The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 11.1) underscores the imperative of upgrading all slums by 2030 to ensure adequate housing for everyone. Geo-locations of slums help local governments with upgrading slums and alleviating urban poverty. Remote sensing (RS) technology, with its excellent Earth observation capabilities, can play an important role in slum mapping. Deep learning (DL)-based RS information extraction methods have attracted a lot of attention. Currently, DL-based slum mapping studies typically uses three optical bands to adapt to existing models, neglecting essential geo-scientific information, such as spectral and textural characteristics, which are beneficial for slum mapping. Inspired by the geoscience-aware DL paradigm, we propose the Geoscience-Aware Network for slum mapping (GASlumNet), aiming to improve slum mapping accuracies via incorporating the DL model with geoscientific prior knowledge. GASlumNet employs a two-stream architecture, combining ConvNeXt and UNet. One stream concentrates on optical feature representation, while the other emphasizes geo-scientific features. Further, the feature-level and decision-level fusion mechanisms are applied to optimize deep features and enhance model performance. We used Jilin-1 Spectrum 01 and Sentinel-2 images to perform experiments in Mumbai, India. The results demonstrate that GASlumNet achieves higher slum mapping accuracy than the comparison models, with an intersection over union (IoU) of 58.41%. Specifically, GASlumNet improves the IoU by 4.60~5.97% over the baseline models, i.e., UNet and ConvNeXt-UNet, which exclusively utilize optical bands. Furthermore, GASlumNet enhances the IoU by 10.97% compared to FuseNet, a model that combines optical bands and geo-scientific features. Our method presents a new technical solution to achieve accurate slum mapping, offering potential benefits for regional and global slum mapping and upgrading initiatives. Full article

This research addresses the evolution of slums in two specific areas of Lagos City, a consequence of rapid urbanization in developing economies. The study aims to analyze the key characteristics of slums’ evolution while analyzing mathematical spatial changes within the Badia-East and Makoko slum areas in two decades, focusing on promoting sustainable urban growth. The integration of Remote Sensing (RS) technology and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools has dramatically facilitated the monitoring of Land Use Land Cover (LULC) changes over two decades. This research used Landsat imagery acquired in 2000, 2010, and 2020 to meet our research aims. The research applied supervised classification and the Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) for image mapping and mathematical-based analysis. Research created a spatial framework using grid-cell maps, performed change detection, and generated detailed maps to support our analysis. A comparative analysis was also performed in the selected areas with a different history in slum management systems. The findings reveal that both Makoko and Badia-East exhibit slum-like characteristics. Makoko witnessed a significant increase in informal built-up expansion of 27.6% and 7.7% between 2000 and 2010 and between 2010 and 2020, respectively. These changes converted 34.65 hectares of non-built-up land in Makoko into built-up areas. Conversely, Badia-East reported an increase in built-up areas only between 2000 and 2010, which amounted to 8.5%. However, the government’s intervention caused a decrease of 12.7% in built-up areas of Badia-East between 2010 and 2020. The study underscores the urgent need for slum clearance and upgrading initiatives in Makoko, like those implemented in Badia-East between 2013 and 2017. The conclusion drawn from the study of Makoko’s informal built-up areas is that it is causing adverse effects on human life and the environment. The expansion has resulted in an increase in air and water pollution, which is having adverse effects. Therefore, the study recommends upgrading and clearing out Makoko and suggests taking lessons from the successful experience in Badia-East. The study also highlights the importance of prioritizing community needs and voices to ensure efficient resource utilization while safeguarding the well-being of future generations. Full article

Diarrhea causes 1.6 million deaths annually, including 525,000 children. Further, chronic diarrhea puts children at risk for mineral deficiencies, malnutrition, and stunting which, in turn, can result in cognitive deficits, poor performance in school, and decreased disease immunity in adulthood. Most diarrhea is caused by water contaminated by fecal matter. Interventions to improve clean water and sanitation can save lives; however, challenges persist in informal settlements. In this study, we explored the views of residents of informal settlements regarding water and sanitation in their communities. Focus group interviews were conducted with residents of 6 informal settlements in Kampala, Uganda (n = 165 people), and 6 key informant interviews were conducted with governmental and nongovernmental organizations that work to improve informal settlements or provide services to them. The results from this study demonstrate that, although these informal settlements had many infrastructure “upgrades” such as latrines and toilets, water taps, wells, and garbage collection and drainage systems, the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) system and its components largely failed due to point-of-use charges of water taps and toilets and the difficulty of emptying cesspits. Our results suggest that WASH must be considered a system and that multiple upgrading efforts are needed for WASH systems to work, including road construction and better oversight of fecal sludge disposal. Full article

Prolonged exposure to indoor dampness in dwellings triggers excessive mould, causing health problems for residents and damage to building structures. This study investigated dampness and mould growth in low-cost dwellings in the slum districts of Surakarta, Indonesia. A VTT mould growth model predicted mould risk in 17 dwellings by employing a set of time-series data of indoor air temperature and relative humidity (RH). Interviews were conducted with 11 houses to understand the residents’ perceptions and lifestyles related to mould risk. The daily average dampness (RH > 80%) ranged from 2.2 to 12.3 h. Low-cost dwellings with plywood board walls had a high risk of cumulative mould growth. Statistical correlation analysis revealed that volumetric heat capacity was significantly positively correlated with mould growth at higher percentiles (75th and 97.5th). Thus, dwellings with smaller volumes and plywood board walls were more susceptible to moulding. Moreover, the majority of the participants expressed dissatisfaction with indoor air quality owing to the presence of unpleasant odours from sewage and dampness, which coincided with their perception of inadequate air ventilation. This study provides a reference for developing standard guidelines for building and upgrading dwellings in Indonesia, focusing on assessing and mitigating mould risks and ensuring moisture safety. Full article

Slum formation is a visible outcome of population growth, rapid urbanization, economic and political policy. Currently, there are approximately one billion slum dwellers, representing approximately thirty percent of the global population. As evident, slums as a critical issue will remain in the upcoming decades. The discipline of architecture should consider the issue of a slum in its curriculum, especially within the design studios. This research attempts to integrate the slum topic within the fourth year undergraduate architecture curriculum and develop a pedagogical framework concerning architectural design projects that focuses on slum topic. The Graduation Research & Preparation (ARC 403) course and Graduation Project (ARC 402) course are modified in order to be responsive to the slum topic. The novelty of the framework can be categorized as follows: the proposed framework is context specific. It is based on an interdisciplinary approach to architecture and ethnography. It utilizes ethnographic tools for collecting data during fieldwork. It values research throughout the design process. A research-based approach prepares young architects for future complex challenges. It requires the young architects to utilize research and build an inventory of collected data, which can guide them during the design process as a reference point. It attempts to increase the awareness of the young architect regarding the discourse on social sustainability. It values social equity, quality of life, and well-being as core indicators of social sustainability and tries to integrate the indicators within the curriculum. The aforementioned indicators can guide young architects to reach strategic decisions to achieve sustainable design solutions. Full article

Various programs have been implemented around the world to achieve slum upgrading, including in the city of Palembang, Indonesia, through the Kotaku Program. This program has been implemented since 2016 with a target of upgrading slum areas by 2020. However, the program has not reached the target. This study aims to identify the failure factors of not achieving the goal. This research uses a qualitative case study by conducting in-depth interviews with 20 various actors (i.e., government, academics, society, and media) involved in the Kotaku Program in Palembang City. Based on the policy network theory perspective, this research found three challenges in achieving the target, namely: (1) lack of collaboration between parties; (2) unclear roles of policy actors in housing and settlements; (3) the difficulty of building trust between actors to work together. From the interviews, new factors were found, including caring and integrity as influencing factors of the actor relationship intensity in a policy network. Consequently, to achieve success with the Kotaku Program, the aspect of the collaboration, trust, caring, integrity among stakeholders, and the aspect of the clarity of the role of the policy actors should be considered. Full article

Rapid urbanization has led to the emergence of slums in many developing and industrialized nations. It degrades the quality of life and burdens the urban amenities resulting in uneven distribution of slums. The majority of people in the developing world live in squatter settlements and these random gatherings disrupt the economic and social developmental plans of the concerned country. No suitable planning framework has been created for replicability on a considerable scale, despite the fact that slum upgrading is acquiring worldwide importance as a political issue. In recent years Jammu City has witnessed high population growth rates resulting in an uneven provision of urban amenities and a surge in slum areas. This paper focuses on a method-based approach using Management Information System (MIS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) for upgrading slums and recommends a planning outline using the approach formulated by the Government of India under the scheme named “Rajiv Awas Yojna” (RAY). The aim of this study is to assess the status of slums, propose redevelopment plans, and highlight the roles of different planning agencies to accomplish the redevelopment goals. The study concludes by postulating several recommendations for upgrading slums and formulating a framework that can be used in other similar areas for development. Full article

A slum upgrading program has provided communal boreholes (KOTAKU boreholes) to improve water supply in slums of Indonesia. However, the achievement of the program was only estimated by the number of households served with the boreholes. We evaluated the water supply improvement by comparing actual water consumption, quality, and expenditure and household satisfaction of existing water sources in a slum of Bandung City, Indonesia. A high iron concentration and microbial contamination were observed in some KOTAKU boreholes, but the quality was better than that in the previous sources of the current KOTAKU borehole users. Twenty percent of the users spend more than 4% of their income on water due to bottled water and vended water for drinking and cooking. However, KOTAKU boreholes replaced that water for drinking and/or cooking, resulting in less water expenditure in low-income households. The average consumption was 134 L per capita per day (LPCD), which was higher than the target (60 LPCD) of the program. However, it was found that a highly intermittent water supply was the reason for household dissatisfaction rather than the amount of consumption. The program improved water supply; however, this study revealed the limitations of the water supply, namely, a lack of attention to continuous water supply and water quality. Full article

The upgrading of large informal settlement areas takes place in sections for technical, economic and social reasons. On one hand, planning is faced with the challenge of taking individual structural and social conditions into account when dividing up the districts. On the other hand, the routing of the mains of a pipe-based infrastructure (water supply) must be selected in the context of the entire area under consideration and integrated into a superordinate network layout. In this paper, a method that combines these contrasting approaches is presented. Potential district boundaries are identified based on existing infrastructure and development patterns, as well as considering the routing requirements of a piped drinking water supply. Thereby, social factors can be considered in the decision-making process. Subsequently, an area subdivision is performed by a recursive partitioning algorithm. The choice and combination of different compactness measures influence the shape of the districts and, thus, the spatial organization. The geodetic height is integrated into the algorithm via an admissibility condition, so that the subsequent development of a district can take place via one pressure zone. By means of variations in the input parameters of the zoning, different planning levels can be generated, which finally lead successively to the upgrading of an informal settlement area. Full article