Key Pillars For Equitable Cities

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 1 𝗶𝗻 4 𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀?

These communities face systemic exclusion; many have limited access to basic services, insecure land tenure, and extreme environmental vulnerabilities. However, their problems are not isolated; 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺, where segregation and inequality persist intentionally.

Cities are not isolated; they share networks, develop exchanges, and develop together. However, while informal settlements are often considered a problem of the “Global South,” Europe is not immune. 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. The question is: how do we respond?

Many of the most transformative urban solutions emerge from communities themselves. As highlighted in “𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘐𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺: 𝘜𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴” (GIZ, IIED & SDI), successful interventions are:

✅ Participatory: Co-designed with residents.
✅ Adaptive: Flexible to local contexts.
✅ Rooted in local knowledge: Not just high-tech, but high-trust.

The crisis of informality and segregation is not accidental; 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀, 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗺𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 for solutions centered on urban justice. To transform cities, adjustments can be made such as:

🔹𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀: Shifting from speculative development to models that prioritize affordability, community land trusts, and non-commoditized housing.

🔹𝗙𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Supporting slum dwellers’ federations, housing cooperatives, and participatory upgrading, proven tools for equitable development.

🔹𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: Replacing rigid zoning with inclusive urban codes that allow for gradual and adaptive growth.

🔸𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆: Replace technocratic solutions with grassroots-led strategies to rebalance power, where communities, not experts, redirect and support strategies against urban inequality.

Source:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ivone-arazo-458a07b8_urbanjustice-spatialjustice-righttothecity-activity-7323936046704930816-isqE/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAtGGkQBsxwMBmX3lEJO8btihnfBCaHqTz4