What are the consequences of housing shortage in cities?

● Homelessness
- Homelessness is a lack of shelter in which to sleep and carry out basic activities
such as bathing.
- For example, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates
that there were 610,042 homeless people in the United States of America on a
single night in January 2013.
- Negative impact on health: homeless people often suffer from poor health
because of exposure to the cold or rain, hunger and lack of sleep.
→ may suffer illnesses such as skin infections (dirty and unhygienic
environment), respiratory problems (exposure to greater air pollutants from living
on the streets) and stress disorders.

● Slums and squatter settlements

➢ Environmental pollution
- Pollution is the introduction of substances into the natural environment
that results in unpleasant or damaging effects to the environment and
human health.
- Water pollution is common in slums.
→ rivers near slum areas may be used for washing, garbage and sewage
disposal. [lack of basic services] → river badly polluted
→ contaminants from sewage can also seep into the groundwater and
pollute nearby water sources.
- Land pollution is also common in slums.
→ lack of garbage disposal system results in dumping of garbage into
open drains and areas outside the houses. [lack of proper waste disposal]
→ rise in land pollution
→ encourage pests such as cockroaches, houseflies and rats which
spread diseases.
- Example: Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, experiences pollution.
The white sand and clear waters is now filled with floating rubbish and
polluted waters. This is the result of the disposal of untreated sewage into
the bay from nearby slums and squatter settlements.
- Lack of proper waste disposal → water pollution → land pollution

➢ Low level of health due to poor living conditions

- The lack of basic services such as clean water (no access to safe drinking
water) and proper sanitation (result in improper disposal of rubbish,
stagnant water in clogged drains and sewers)
- For example, in Nairobi, the death rate of children less than five years old
is 2.5 times higher in slums than in other parts of the city, according to
data from the World Health Organisation.
 - No access to safe drinking water: water from polluted rivers and
contaminated wells may have bacteria that causes diseases such as
cholera or dysentery.
- Lack of waste management facilities: result in improper disposal of
rubbish, stagnant water in clogged drains and sewer provide breeding
grounds for mosquitoes and lead to the spread of malaria and dengue
fever
- Overcrowding: houses are closely spaced and facilitate the rapid spread
of diseases with the community.

➢ Vulnerability
- Vulnerable to fires, landslides and evictions: settlements built with poor
quality materials such as wood and cardboard → result in loss of
properties, injuries and even deaths
- Landslides: earth and rocks rush downhill and destroy or bury everything
in its path
→ slums being built on steep slopes → unstable during weather hazards
such as strong winds and heavy rainfall → result in loss of properties and
even death
- Eviction: Slums and squatter settlements may be built on land without
permission from relevant authorities, slum residents face the threat of
eviction. → lack a sense of security because they may be forced out of
their homes anytime
→ For example, in 2012, about 40,000 people who lived in Korail slum in
Dhaka, Bangladesh, were evicted when a court order to clear the land in
the slum was issued, resulting in social tension between the authorities
and the residents. Social tension is the feeling of uneasiness that exists
between different groups of people.

What are some strategies used by cities to manage housing shortage and build
inclusive homes?
Strategies to manage housing shortage
● Slum upgrading
- Some cities try to improve conditions in slum areas by improving the quality of
housing and basic services such as water, electricity and sewage.
- Sites may be cleared and basic infrastructure can be provided to the areas.
- Financing schemes and assistance are also provided to fund the projects.
- Self-help schemes involve the participation of low-income households to
improve the conditions of existing housing.
- For example, self-help schemes improved the quality of housing in Rocinha. Most
wooden houses have been replaced by concrete houses. 75% of homes have
electricity compared to just 30% in the past. Services such as rooftop water tanks
and piped water systems were also added to the houses. Proper sanitation
facilities such as toilets and sewers were also built.
 ● Provision of public housing
- Public housing refers to government's efforts to provide housing units with basic
services, usually for low-income households and other persons of need such as
the elderly and disabled.
- Public housing is reasonably priced compared to private housing, and may also
be subsidised by the government.
- For instance, old flats may be rented at a low price, abandoned buildings are
converted for residential use and new apartments can also be built.

Inclusive housing
- An inclusive city is one that provides all residents with adequate housing and access to all
basic services such as transportation and recreation.
- Inclusive housing refers to housing that is affordable, provides facilities and amenities for all
ages, and develops a sense of place and belonging in the residents.
● Affordable housing
- Affordable housing is priced at a reasonable cost such that residents still have
enough money for other basic needs such as food.
● Facilities and amenities for all ages
- Providing a range of facilities and amenities for different age groups.
- Retail shops, clinics and parks are some common facilities and amenities found
in neighbours.
- For example, corridors in residential developments need to have a minimum
width of 1.5m for people using mobility aids such as wheelchairs.
● Strong sense of place and belonging
- A sense of place refers to the meaning and value people attach to a place as a
result of their experiences or the unique characteristics of a place. (distinctive
features or landmarks)
- When people have pleasant experiences and memories, they are more likely to
develop a sense of place and belonging.
- Distinctive features & landmarks: enable people to recognise and recall a place
easily, contributing to their sense of place and belonging.

Chapter 14 - Transport
1. What is traffic congestion?
2. Where is traffic congestion found in the city?
3. Why does traffic congestion occur?
4. How does traffic congestion affect people and the
environment?

What is traffic congestion?

- Mobility refers to the movement of people and goods from place to place, in a
reasonable amount of time and at an acceptable cost.
● Characteristics of urban transport
➢ Variety of transport modes
- Modes of transportation refer to the types of transport used to facilitate
the movement of people or goods from one place to another.
- Private transport, Public transport: transport provided by the government
or private companies such as buses, trains and taxis.

➢ Density of transport network

- A transport network refers to a system of transport routes connecting a
set of nodes.
- A dense transport network is one which is highly developed and
well-connected

➢ Quality of transport infrastructure

- Transport infrastructure refers to facilities such as roads, railway tracks
and bus terminals.
- Measured by indicators such as capacity, efficiency, reliability, safety and
comfort level.
- An example is a well-paved and well-lit road with many lanes for vehicles
to pass through quickly and smoothly
- Characteristics of a high-quality transport infrastructure:
Large capacity Efficient Safe
Able to move large Frequent services Little danger of car
no. of people at any to move people accidents, bus collisions or
one time. quickly. even train derailing;
Presence of safety features
such as track barriers and
emergency buttons on
trains.

Comfortable Dependent and reliable

Clean travelling . . Transport system can be
environment allows _______ depended on to move
for a comfortable people constantly, on time
commute. and with few interruptions.

● Traffic congestion
- Traffic congestion is a situation where there are more vehicles than the road can
handle.
- Characteristics: slow travelling speeds, vehicular queues that last more than 15
minutes.
- Slow travelling speeds + large no. of vehicles → build up of vehicles → vehicular
queues
- Traffic congestion reduces mobility, making it difficult and time-consuming for
people to move about.
Where is traffic congestion found in the city?
- Traffic congestion can occur for different reasons like car accidents or peak hours.

● Concentration of traffic congestion in the city

- The Central Business District (CBD) is the commercial centre where businesses
such as financial institutions are concentrated in the city.
- There are usually high flows of traffic on the roads within the CBD, resulting in
traffic congestion, especially during peak hours.
- Peak hour refers to a part of the day during which traffic volume is the highest.