Compact cities and informal settlements. Exploring qualities, drivers and strategies for promoting sustainable urban development

Research and policy argue for more compact cities to respond to sustainable development challenges. However, there is little clarity on what actually needs to be made more compact. This is especially the case for informal settlements in in the global South, where generic, North notions of urban qualities, are even detrimental to positive urban change. This project contributes to a better understanding of the perceived qualities in compact cities as well as the strategies articulated by an array of actors in the informal urbanization processes. The focus of the project is on urban change in informal settlements in Kisumu (Kenya), but field studies in Buenos Aires, Cape Town and Havana facilitate comparative learning.