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Anonymous
Posted May 22, 2005
Shadow Cities: A Billion Squaters, A Newe Urban World is a great book for anyone over th age of thirteen. Mr. Neuwirth is able to both tell his stories from his travels and tell the reader of the situations that the squaters are in with his great writing. I highly recomend it!
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Posted November 30, 2009
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More About This Textbook
Overview
In almost every country of the developing world, the most active builders are squatters, creating complex local economies with high rises, shopping strips, banks, and self-government. As they invent new social structures, Neuwirth argues, squatters are at the forefront of the worldwide movement to develop new visions of what constitutes property and community.
Visit Robert Neuwirth's blog at: http://squatterci ty.blogspot.com
Editorial Reviews
Publishers Weekly
In this superbly probing book, investigative reporter Neuwirth relates the struggles and successes of some of the world's most resourceful poor people, among the one billion urban squatters in countries like Brazil, India, Kenya and Turkey. Having lived alongside them in these four countries and thus gained firsthand knowledge of their daily lives, Neuwirth is able to dismantle many common preconceptions about the so-called slums in which they live. The vast, bustling favela of Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro, for example, has distinct neighborhoods, apartments for rent, dance parties in the street and local entrepreneurs, as well as drug lords and gangs. In Nairobi's Kibera, many squatters have white-collar jobs, yet lack the income to rent more than a simple mud hut. Clarifying local legal considerations and housing policy city by city, Neuwirth closely attends to the characters, historical particularities and human potential of the squatter communities he encounters. In his concluding chapters, he pulls back to address the U.N.'s role in ameliorating squatters' problems and polarizing notions of property ownership, among other issues. Pointing out that many major cities were founded on squatter-style neighborhoods, Neuwirth treats readers to some fascinating historical case studies in London and New York. Compelling, thought-provoking and written with laconic grace, Neuwirth's study is essential reading for anyone interested in global urban affairs. B&w photos. Agent, Jan-Erik Guerth. (Dec.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.Product Details
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Meet the Author
Robert Neuwirth is an investigative reporter who specializes in urban issues. He has written for The New York Times, The Nation, Metropolis, The Village Voice, New York Magazine, and many other publications. He received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship for his work on squatter communities.
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