A strategic look at urban inequality
Issues associated with urban inequality and urban planning reveal socio-spatial divisions and disparities. This is particularly true in Global South cities. Yet, there, the knowledge about these issues remains insufficient. In light of this, the EU-funded project URBAN INEQUALITY (Planning in equality? Urban strategy and inequality in global south cities) examined urban strategies and planning in several cities in the Global South. Using a multi-method ethnography, it focused primarily on Africa and India with particular emphasis placed on the cities of Cape Town, Delhi, Johannesburg and Mumbai. Researchers studied the political, institutional, social and cultural contexts of urban strategies in relation to their stance on inequality. Additionally, the project looked at the ways stakeholders and communities are reacting to such inequalities. Results include a series of conference papers based on the project's findings, a published paper in a leading academic journal, and the start of academic collaboration and networking. Results are expected to contribute significantly to academic and policy knowledge of the stance of urban strategies on the subject of inequality in different countries as well as the different levels of the process. Furthermore, the work can help facilitate long-term collaboration with researchers, academic institutions, and relevant organisations in Europe, India, Israel, South Africa and the United States.
