Analyzing Urban Poverty: GIS for the Developing World

In developing countries, squatter developments are without infrastructure, dense with dwellings without ownership, and built from materials at hand. Yet they house more than one-third of the urban population in developing countries and are valued by residents. The scope and depth of urban poverty in squatter developments requires immediate action. Analyzing Urban Poverty: GIS in the Developing World shows how geographic information systems (GIS) can be used in developing countries to improve quality of life in poor urban areas. With thirty years of experience using GIS technology to manage urban problems in Venezuelan barrios, Rosario Giusti de Prez and Ramn Prez describe how they developed sustainable solutions that go beyond conventional planning programs. Chapters cover site analyses of the natural and built environments, visualizing poverty maps, developing appropriate improvement proposals, managing these projects, and organizing communities and encouraging their participation.