ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explains that today the urban Global South is the part of the world that faces the most rapid urbanization processes. It also focuses on the government's role as a housing provider changed into a role as an enabler of housing markets. In this respect, the government takes care of the legislative, institutional and financial framework. As a result, a stakeholder approach gained ground under the umbrella of urban governance. Although the western-based approach of neoliberals focuses on the formal sector and neglects the informal sector, studies surrounding the urban Global South include the formal as well as the informal sector; each plays a vital role in the production of housing. Insights concerning environmental sustainability can also be applied to low-income housing in the urban Global South. As with natural ecosystems, the modern urban world is characterized by constant improvements in system efficiency.
