The Political Economy of Slums: Theory and Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

Sean Fox

World Development, 2014, vol. 54, issue C, 191-203

Abstract: Over 800 million people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America live in slums. Why? I argue that slums are a result of “disjointed modernization” and show that 70% of cross-country variation in slum incidence is explained by demographic, economic, and institutional factors. I trace the origins of disjointed modernization in sub-Saharan Africa back to the colonial period and show that colonial era investments and institutions are reflected in contemporary variation in slum incidence. I argue that status quo interests and the rise of an anti-urbanization bias in development discourse have inhibited investment and reform in the postcolonial era.

Keywords: slums; informal settlements; Africa; colonialism; urban development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (45)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:54:y:2014:i:c:p:191-203

DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2013.08.005

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