by Vinayak Bharne (Editor), Shyam Khandekar (Editor)
In a time when an estimated 1.2 billion people across the world lack access to secure housing, how are cities working to empower and promote the inclusion of all, irrespective of age, gender, ethnicity, disability and economic status? How is affordable housing bridging economic gaps across different social, political and cultural geographies, particularly for the 900 million individuals who live in slums? This volume explores the interface of social justice and city making through comparative discussions from Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe, as well as North, Central and South America. The thirty-six essays in this collection include conversations with influential administrators and civic leaders such as Somsook Boonyabancha and Jaime Lerner, with commentaries on transformative initiatives such as "Child Friendly Cities," and "Women for the World," and case studies of exemplary projects by globally known architects and planners such as Alejandro Aravena and MVRDV. The multifaceted narrative of this volume is a call for expanding the narrow focus on urban equitability towards a more integral outlook on the myriad ways through which affordable housing and inclusive cites are being generated globally.