Abstract
Adopting a case study methodology with mixed methods data collection and analysis, this study investigates causes and mitigation strategies related to urban informal settlement and infrastructure (UISI) in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Seattle, Washington, United States and Lagos metropolis, Nigeria. The study indicates that informal urban settlement is associated with factors including socio-economics, environmental conditions, and governance. In Lagos metropolis, UISI stems from inadequate infrastructural development, economic challenges, governance and other factors. In Seattle and Hong Kong, the escalating cost of living (housing) and a widening gap between the rich and the poor create homelessness and street sleepers which contributes to UISI. In Seattle, significant efforts and resources are directed towards this urban threat. However, administrative bureaucracy, inadequate coordination of organizations and issues of equality, equity, and race hinder significant advancements. The study recommends policy reforms, community-based participatory design, and inclusive socio-economic and environmental planning design as vehicles for sustainable development.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the Hong Kong Research Grant Council for the Ph.D. Fellowship award, the opportunity for overseas study and the School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University for their research support to carry out this research. The support of the Department of Landscape Architecture, Department of Urban Design and Planning, College of Built Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, United States was also appreciated for their research support. The authors also acknowledge the support of all the public and private professionals (urban planners, architects, and other environmentalist) interviewed for this research.
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Soyinka, O., Spencer, B., Siu, K.W.M., Hou, J., Heland, L. (2019). Urban Informal Settlement and Infrastructure for Sustainable Urban Design: Investigating the Correlates and Mitigation Strategy. In: Charytonowicz, J., Falcão, C. (eds) Advances in Human Factors, Sustainable Urban Planning and Infrastructure. AHFE 2018. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 788. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94199-8_28
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94199-8_28
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