ABSTRACT
Slums do not occur in a vacuum. Despite the easily recognizable similarities in terms of physical and social conditions and attitudes that surround slums, there are also very great differences between slums that reflect local cultures and conditions, accidents of history or politics, and topography or the built environment. Some slum areas are working communities in their own right, with their own economy and social structure, whereas others are ‘black holes of misery and despair‘.
