CONTESTED LAND USE CHANGES
a) Contested land use changes, including slum clearances, urban redevelopment and the depletion of green space
Contested lands are lands that can potentially attract a wide range of interests from different stakeholders in business, housing, politics, and more. Lands in most cities have various uses depending on its ownership. For example, an area of land close to the CBD could be seen by an entrepreneur as a good place to invest in retail or an office building. Moreover, the government might view such land as a good location for a multipurpose car park or entertainment center. This often generates a lot interest on the land, thus making it a contested land space.
What can contested land lead to?
Watch: What Rio doesn’t want the world to see: https://youtu.be/1W_zM7koJy8
Read:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/09/brazil-demolishes-home-of-slum-resident-fighting-eviction-over-olympic-development
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zw6pwxs/revision/5
Urban Redevelopment: Dharavi, Mumbai, India
Read:
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/feb/18/best-ideas-redevelop-dharavi-slum-developers-india
https://blogs.ubc.ca/geog352economics2017/the-slum-redevelopment-project-in-dharavi/
Depletion of Green Space:
Watch:
Importance of Green Spaces in Cities: https://youtu.be/CEoOFa-Ip6w
Optional:
Green Space Cuts Urban Crime & Depression: https://youtu.be/q8Mvh0-yJis
- Detailed contrasting examples of two affected neighborhoods and their populations.
Contested lands are lands that can potentially attract a wide range of interests from different stakeholders in business, housing, politics, and more. Lands in most cities have various uses depending on its ownership. For example, an area of land close to the CBD could be seen by an entrepreneur as a good place to invest in retail or an office building. Moreover, the government might view such land as a good location for a multipurpose car park or entertainment center. This often generates a lot interest on the land, thus making it a contested land space.
What can contested land lead to?
- Conflict – different stakeholders or organizations make every effort, whether their efforts are legal or illegal, to own high-value lands.
- Relocation of the poor - when poor people live on contested lands in urban areas, they may end up losing the land to various groups of people with varied interests on such land. They may have to sell the land and relocate to other parts of the city or clear the slum to make way for urban redevelopment.
- Resentment – resentment from urban dwellers, especially when those living on contested lands are dissatisfied with an ongoing project or facility located on the land. For example, an urban green space could be depleted to make way for the construction of a stadium. Though for the purpose of leisure, the people in the area might resent this decision, as it may lead to noise pollution and traffic congestion - think of NIMBY (Not in my backyard)
Watch: What Rio doesn’t want the world to see: https://youtu.be/1W_zM7koJy8
Read:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/09/brazil-demolishes-home-of-slum-resident-fighting-eviction-over-olympic-development
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zw6pwxs/revision/5
Urban Redevelopment: Dharavi, Mumbai, India
Read:
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/feb/18/best-ideas-redevelop-dharavi-slum-developers-india
https://blogs.ubc.ca/geog352economics2017/the-slum-redevelopment-project-in-dharavi/
Depletion of Green Space:
Watch:
Importance of Green Spaces in Cities: https://youtu.be/CEoOFa-Ip6w
Optional:
Green Space Cuts Urban Crime & Depression: https://youtu.be/q8Mvh0-yJis
Mini Case Study - Rio, Brazil & Dharavi, Mumbai, India
Contrasting examples of two affected neighbourhoods and their populations
Read “What is Contested Land?” and “What can contested land lead to?” above to familiarize yourself with the topic.
Watch “What Rio doesn’t want the world to see” and read the two articles listed under Slum Clearance: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil listed above. From the video and the readings, write down Rio’s general information (location, population, demographics, etc.) in full sentences. You may use your own sources if certain information is not available, but please cite in-text.
Read the two articles listed under Urban Redevelopment: Dharavi, Mumbai, India listed above. Write down Dharavi’s general information (location, population, demographics, etc.) in full sentences. Use information for Mumbai if information for Dharavi cannot be found. Again, you may use your own sources if certain information is not available, but please cite in-text.
From the two readings listed above under Urban Redevelopment: Dharavi, Mumbai, India, what are key features of urban redevelopment in Dharavi? Point-form is okay.
From the video “What Rio doesn’t want the world to see” and the two articles listed under Slum Clearance: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil listed above, what are key features of slum clearances in Rio? Point-form is okay.
Watch the video “Importance of Green Spaces in Cities” listed under Depletion of Green Space provided above. Connecting back to urban redevelopment, how does urban redevelopment impact green spaces in general? Answer in full sentences.
Using the resources available above, compare and contrast major social impacts (positive and/or negative) in Rio and Dharavi. Please answer in full sentences.
Contrasting examples of two affected neighbourhoods and their populations
Read “What is Contested Land?” and “What can contested land lead to?” above to familiarize yourself with the topic.
Watch “What Rio doesn’t want the world to see” and read the two articles listed under Slum Clearance: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil listed above. From the video and the readings, write down Rio’s general information (location, population, demographics, etc.) in full sentences. You may use your own sources if certain information is not available, but please cite in-text.
Read the two articles listed under Urban Redevelopment: Dharavi, Mumbai, India listed above. Write down Dharavi’s general information (location, population, demographics, etc.) in full sentences. Use information for Mumbai if information for Dharavi cannot be found. Again, you may use your own sources if certain information is not available, but please cite in-text.
From the two readings listed above under Urban Redevelopment: Dharavi, Mumbai, India, what are key features of urban redevelopment in Dharavi? Point-form is okay.
From the video “What Rio doesn’t want the world to see” and the two articles listed under Slum Clearance: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil listed above, what are key features of slum clearances in Rio? Point-form is okay.
Watch the video “Importance of Green Spaces in Cities” listed under Depletion of Green Space provided above. Connecting back to urban redevelopment, how does urban redevelopment impact green spaces in general? Answer in full sentences.
Using the resources available above, compare and contrast major social impacts (positive and/or negative) in Rio and Dharavi. Please answer in full sentences.