Harvey Jacobs: Informal Settlement Upgrading in Global Mega-cities

Alexander von Humboldt Lecture Series 2014-2015 on "Spatial Justice" Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands Alexander von Humboldt Lecture: ‘Informal Settlement Upgrading in Global Mega-cities: The Human Rights – Property Rights Dilemma’ Prof. Harvey Jacobs, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA Monday, November 17, 2014 Abstract: Since 2008 we have, for the first time in human history, become an urban planet. And the continuing rate of urbanization is staggering. It is estimated that globally over 1 million people per week are migrating from the countryside to the city, primarily in Africa and Asia. Many of these migrants settle in the informal settlements (slums) of the planet’s mega-cities – e.g. Jakarta, Indonesia, Johannesburg, South Africa, Mexico City, Mumbai, India, Nairobi, Kenya. The U.N. estimates that over 1 billion people live in informal settlements now and that this number will double by 2030. These lives of these settlers are “informal” because they have no legal title to the land and housing where they reside. Should they? Prominent advocates (e.g. Hernando de Soto) argue that doing so improves infrastructure and social services within the settlements, jump starts private sector economic development activities, and improves the public fiscal conditions of cities. Skeptics wonder if informal settlers either need or want private property rights, and are also concerned about the unintended consequences of informal settlement upgrading. This talk explores spatial justice for informal settlers and settlements through the lens of human rights. Does a global discourse about furthering human rights imply that these settlers are entitled to property rights? And if they are, exactly what might this mean – what would property look like, how would they get it, what could they do with it?