Overview

The overall percentage of land allocated to streets in informal areas is roughly 5%, which is much less than the 30% recommended by UN habitat.¹

Informal settlements are typically overcrowded and information about their street networks and hierarchies may not be available. While bustling with life, this settlement may suffer from unsafe and unsanitary living conditions. Access to facilities for water, power, and sanitation, typically provided within a planned right-of-way, do not exist, and infrastructure to support safe movement is lacking.

To provide basic services to their residents, these settlements require well-connected and maintained streets. They must prioritize streets as the basic element of mobility and accessibility, and use them for the provision of services. This can support economic development and contribute to a higher quality of life.²

Footnotes

^{1 UN Habitat, Streets as Public Spaces and Drivers of Urban Prosperity (Nairobi: UN Habitat, 2012).
2 UN Habitat, Streets as Public Spaces and Drivers of Urban Prosperity (Nairobi: UN Habitat, 2012).}

Adapted by Global Street Design Guide published by Island Press.