ABSTRACT
This chapter provides some feeling for the quality of life in Latin American cities. On most indices of well-being, the situation of the urban poor in underdeveloped countries remains appalling. Urban poverty is, however, not simply a matter of individual income; it is exacerbated by the spatial and physical organization of the cities. In most large cities of the underdeveloped world, there is also a severe shortage of public services. Many city roads, especially on the outskirts, are unpaved. Public water supply reaches low-income areas of the city through public hydrants servicing a large number of families, and adequate sewage disposal systems serve only a small proportion of the urban population. Exclusion is also apparent in the uncertainty of tenure of low-income residents; informal settlements are always liable for demolition and those in rented and government assisted estates can easily be removed for default in payments or nuisances caused by children.
