As the worlds population quickly grows past 7 billion people, cities can no longer be bureaucratic on how they develop. In this set of four articles read for class; Planet of Slums, Shadow Cities, A Billion Slum Dwellers and Counting, and Lagos, it can be carefully noted the contrasting viewpoints on how the world sees the rapid growth of third world cities in a more or less positive light.

The Lagos reading quickly situates itself in the positive light as this rapid growth has done wonders for its economic prowess,; making it the most prosperous city in Nigeria.  One of the biggest economic centers, the Alaba International Electronics Market contains over 50,000 merchants which net over 2 Billion dollars annually (1). To top it off, Alaba accounts for 75% of the West African electronics market. Alaba has not only just become a successful marketplace for electronics but has also helped grow a surrounding city and infrastructure with no government money, making it self sufficient. The Alaba foundation built a large car park, donated books and television sets to fill a local market-funded library, built a fire station, an electric substation, and finally telecommunications towers. Again, all built at the market associations expense. (2)

While the informality of Lagos has done wonders for its economy Planet of Slums project informal cities, almost the same urban structure, in a  negative light. Focusing on the competition which drove Lagos to be prosperous can also be the downfall of the informal city. “Increasing competition within the informal sector depletes social capital and dissolves self-help networks and solidarity essential to the survival of the very poor.” (3) In other words too much competition or desperation, has led to insurmountably low prices and becomes too much to handle.

This desperation has changed the culture of society too. Focusing on Haiti: “Now everything is for sale. The woman used to receive you with hospitality, give you coffee, share all that she had in her home…”(4), now all of these things have become for sale, just to get by. I could see this easily causing social and isolation problems. When millions of people are living together in an extremely compact dirty space, where everyone is selling everything, and hospitality is next to none, social bridges and ties crumble. Contrary to this notion, a city of lax and little enforced labor rights, allows for complete freedom and a lot of times creative ways to make money.

Squatters though seemingly temporary and in many ways bad for the economy of a city, could actually turn out to do wonders instead. As many of these squatters have come from all parts of the world in order to have a better life for their families. In addition to bringing their families, many of them bring with them new economic and product ideas. These squatter cities develop with such fervor that one could assume that they grow in the most competent and sensible way. Meaning that while the first world spends large amounts of money on studying and drafting ideas for city planning, squatters let it happen naturally overtime. We probably have something to learn from them. Perhaps we all have something to learn. Squatters will need to learn how to stick up for themselves and begin to pass legislation, take risks, and find their strengths.(5) The squatter communities of today will allow the cities they are in/nearby to develop into the next bustling metropolis such as New York City, keeping in mind the horrible condition of tenement housing of the early 1920’s which through legislation, developed into the relatively clean city we know today.

1. Lagos: Harvard Project on the City, Rem Koolhaas, Page 702

2. Lagos: Harvard Project on the City, Rem Koolhaas, Page 703

3. Planet of Slums, Mike Davis, Page 184

4. Planet of Slums, Mike Davis, Page 184

5. Shadow Cities, Robert Neuwirth, Page xiv.