Economic, Human, and Natural, Resources to Support Changes that Improve the Quality of Life for Existing and Future Urban Dwellers

Abstract

The rehabilitation/redevelopment of urban centers is costly and once begun will take several years to accomplish. It is most efficiently completed in stages by discreet neighborhoods within a city and by prioritized need in adjoining shantytowns/slums. The time to start a renewal process is now as pressures from growing populations increase daily as evidenced by the demographic projection that the 2018 city population of ~4 billion people will rise to 6.9 billion by 2050 fueled as already noted by births, rural citizen in-migration, and sometimes immigration. Today, as previously stated, there are scores of millions of people living in shantytowns/slums in developing and less developed nations especially in Asia and Africa, but also in South America. For most people living in these squalid conditions, basic needs for a reasonably good quality of life are not being provided. What can be expected in terms of social stability as years pass to 2050 and beyond? Restless masses demanding change are a likely answer if indeed municipalities and nations do not show progress to a better life by steadily improving delivery of basic needs to citizens as each year passes. Progress begins slowly with small but real improvements in living conditions in shantytowns/slums by providing basic services that contribute to good public health (safe water, access to adequate sanitation, and regular garbage collection).