Megacities and Slums in the Global South

About the lecture

In this module, we think about two widely discussed features of urbanisation in the Global South - megacities and slums. We focus on: (i) the distribution of megacities and how this has changed since 1975, noting particularly that the vast majority, around 87%, are located in the Global South; (ii) the common perception of megacities in the Global South that they are unplanned and uncontrolled, and whether this is accurate; (iii) the growth of informal settlements, often called slums, associated with urbanisation in the Global South; (iv) Mike Davis’ account of this growth of slums in the Global South as a consequence of the imposition of neoliberal policies by the Global North; (v) some criticisms of Davis’ thesis, relating particularly to his use of the concept of the slum, which some scholars argue is stigmatising, and is often used to justify authoritarian policies towards the urban poor.

About the lecturer

Dr Mara Nogueira is a Lecturer in Urban Geography at Birkbeck, University of London. Her research focuses on patterns of socio-spatial inequality in Brazilian cities, as well as urban policy and politics.