Evaluate the attempts to reduce socio-spatial inequalities in LEDCs

The least economically developed countries (LEDCs) have suffered from great socio-spatial inequalities for many years. Socio-spatial inequalities correspond to the unequal amounts of qualities and resources and services depending on the location or area affected. They may be racial, religious or economic. One may consider the fact that urbanization occurred in LEDCs later than in MEDCs. Big cities, especially in LEDCs are characterized by overpopulation, the rural push and urban pull factors also result in many newcomers to overpopulated areas every year. The hope for a better life in a big city are often shattered by the harsh reality of slums. Employment is not always accessible and housing is therefore unaffordable for a major part of the population thus leading to the creation of slums. Slums are squalid and overcrowded urban streets or districts inhabited by very poor people often close to the CBD or major roads.They are characterized by a limited or non existent access to basic resources, violence, insalubrity and poverty. In total there are about 1 billion people living in slum conditions today. Several attempts have been made to better the flawed housing systems in LEDCs such as the New Town approach, Self housing scheme and clearance and will be evaluated in this essay. LEDCs such as Brazil (who spent £200 million in the 1990s in order to improve living conditions in favelas) are willing to attempt to find solutions but the fact that they aren’t very economically powerful makes it difficult to fully cover the problem. Although many attempts have been made to reduce the socio-spatial inequalities in LEDCs, they have not been totally effective and the problem only seems to be getting bigger.

The New Town approach which was set up in order to find more space to live in in a safe environment with services provided close by(schools,hospitals,shops…). One of the main aims was to take pressure off the Big Cities which were completely saturated and create housing structures on free land further away from the big city itself. One may see that on the croquis document where it is made clear that developed areas are taking more and more space and expanding. It was also supposed to provide “affordable” housing. This has been effective to a certain point since it has helped take pressure off big cities and improve safety. The use of cars is also reduced: services are nearby the houses. The access to the city is quite good: in Barra da Tijuca (Brazil) a four lane highway was built to connect Barra de Tijuca to Rio, eventually for the workers that need direct access to Rio de Janeiro. One may also see thanks to the croquis that in Mumbai, India, most activity is concentrated towards the coast. In order to use this process there, good connections to the developed areas would be necessary. The consequence of this method is a clear improvement in the quality of life. However it doesn’t really solve the problem of slums which is a gigantic worry for the development of LEDCs. These new houses were inhabited by the wealthier classes and actually has encouraged the creation of new slums around them, many slums have been established in Barra da Tijuca. The lower class are employed by the wealthier class to take low paid jobs and thus need somewhere nearby to live. These areas are also costly in the long term which means the problem is not totally covered by this attempt to reduce socio spatial inequalities

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