To promote awareness of the critical problem of providing basic services to the rapidly increasing urban poor. To capture and evaluate the growing experience from upgrading projects and programs, To structure the increasing wealth of documentation for increased accessibility. Knowledge is a key element of tackling and scaling-up of upgrading efforts. Communities are equal decision-making partners in the process of upgrading. They know their community and issues.
Involvement increases sustainability.
They will live the effects and often participate in the implementation. Professionals will always be outsiders but contribute broader perspectives and missing skills. Upgrading is more than simple water lines and sewage disposal, and has a broad development agenda with social, health, education and economic components. Programs with large-scale, broad impact are the goal. We welcome contributions and comments.