GEOG 352 Study Guide - Final Guide: Financialization, Social Relation, Land Values
Document Summary
Speculating on slums: infrastructural fixes in informal housing in the global. Argues that [land] speculation is accentuated by ostensibly philanthropic acts when seeking to improve tenure security through investments in infrastructure of slum areas by ngos. Improving basic services within informal settlements is widely assumed to increase security of tenure (p. 791) Investments in services are likely to encourage slum-dwellers" own assets to be invested, thereby increasing the ability of slum dwellers to defend their tenure in relation to the state. As proprietary rights are formalized, residents become tax-paying citizens (so the argument holds) a win-win situation is achieved. The promised security fails to be realized if slum-dwellers are locked into landlord- tenant relationships. Better services and infrastructural investments --> increase in property and land values --> increase in rents. Improving basic services for the most needy may actually decrease security of tenure (p. 792) Those able to remain are often forced to absorb increased rents by reducing household expenditure elsewhere.
