Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, A New Urban World, Robert Neuwirth, Routledge, New York (2006)

Excerpt

In Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, A New Urban World , investigative reporter Robert Neuwirth explores squatter communities in Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi, Mumbai, and Istanbul. Using statistical data—that one in six people in the world is a squatter—Neuwirth entices readers into a discussion of squatting as a widespread and yet neglected issue. Throughout Shadow Cities , Neuwirth advocates for a (re)conceptualization of squatting as a legitimate form of urban development, one that is sustained almost solely by the effort and persistence of the squatters themselves. Journalistic in tone, Neuwirth’s relaxed approach intertwines history, theory, and personal experience into an investigation of squatter communities throughout the world.