The Challenge of Slums presents the first global assessment of slums, emphasizing their problems and prospects. It presents estimates of the numbers of urban slum dwellers and examines the factors that underlie the formation of slums, as well as their social, spatial and economic characteristics and dynamics. It also evaluates the principal policy responses to the slum challenge of the last few decades. The report argues that the number of slum dwellers is growing and will continue to increase unless there is serious and concerted action by all relevant stakeholders. The report points the way forward and identifies the most promising approaches to achieving the Millennium Declaration target on improving the lives of slum dwellers.

Other titles in the Global Report on Human Settlement series:

• Planning and Design for Sustainable Urban Mobility 2013
• Cities and Climate Change 2011
• Planning Sustainable cities 2009
• Enhancing Urban Safety and Security - Vol 1, Vol 2 and Vol 3
• Financing Urban Shelter 2005
• The Challenge of Slums 2003
• Cities in A Globalizing World 2001
• An Urbanizing World 1996