Lima’s Slums:Problems or Solutions?

Professor Bill Chambers

Liverpool Hope University

President

Geographical Association

Annual Conference 30th March 2005

University of Derby

Lecture Structure

1. Peru

2. Migration

3. Housing in Lima

4. Growth of Lima

5. Progressive Development

6. Employment

7. Government Policies

8. Hope or Despair?

1. Peru

Source: www.politicalresources.net

Costa: The Atacama Desert

Peru and UK(World Bank 2004)

Characteristic Peru UK Population millions 27 59 Area million km2 1.28 0.25 Density p/km2 21 240 Infant mortality per 1000 30 5 GDP US$ billion 61 1800 Electricity kWh per capita 645 5495 Fertilizer kg/ha arable land 1 200 % urban 74 90

PeruThree Zones

CostaAtacama Desert (driest in the world)

SierraAndes (2nd highest mountains in world)

SelvaAmazon (largest tropical rainforest in world)

Source: Coleccion Huascaran, Lima

Sierra: The Andes

Selva: The Amazon Basin

Peru: Population by Region

Region Area % 1876 2001

Costa 11 24 53

Sierra 26 75 36

Selva 63 1 11

2. Migration

Primacy of Lima:‘the head of a giant on the body of a

dwarf’

Characteristic Fact % Peru’s population 25 Size compared with 2nd city 11x % financial transactions 95 % electricity consumption 75 % doctors 66 % factories employing >5 people 70

29

Reasons for Primacy

• capital city (work, culture, civilisation)

• largest port (Callao)

• traditional home of Vice-Roy in Colonial

Migration

• City centre v Paisanos• 40% Costa • 50% Andes• mainly central-

southern Andes• young/ambitious• earthquakes

• rural poverty• land tenure in Andes• infant mortality• guerrillas• cocaine• El Nino • modernisation of coast

Source: Children in Peru, Peru Support Unit 1991

3. Housing in Lima

Callejon

Housing for Lima PoorSlums/turgurios and Squatter settlements

• alleys & tenements (callejones) 64%• workers’ housing 20% • decaying mansions 11%• city plots (corralones) 5%

• government projects• private sector • squatter settlements (barriadas)

Squatter Settlements

• Barriadas

• Urbanizaciones Populares

• Urbanisationes Marginales

• Pueblos Jovenes

• Asentiamentos Humanos

Barriadas

• A residential community

• formed by low income families in which the

• houses are constructed in large measure by the residents themselves and

• which are generally but not exclusively formed illegally.

(Collins 1975)

4. Growth of Lima

Lima Population Growth

Year Population

1941 598000

1945 645000

1961 1850000

1972 3330000

1981 4600000

1990 7000000

2005 8187000

Source:

J. Matos Mar 1977Las Barriadas de Lima 1957

Source:

J. Matos Mar 1977Las Barriadas de Lima 1967

Source:

J. Matos Mar 1977Las Barriadas de Lima 1977

San CristobalCentro cerro

Rio Rimac floodplain : Carmen de la Legua and San Martin de Porres 1965

my house

Comas 16-3-1945

Andes foothills

Comas 1965

my house

Southern Atacama desert: Tupac Amaru

Geographical distributionunoccupied, state or church or absentee landlord owned

Location Decade Example

Inner City infill 1920s-1930s Mendocita, Matute

Central Cerros 1940s El Agustino, San Cosme

Rio Rimac floodplain 1940s-1950s Carmen de la Legua

Andes foothills 1950s-1960s Comas, El Ermitano

Southern Atacama desert 1970s-1980s Villa el Salvador, Tupac Amaru

Margins, infill, extension 1980-present Los Olivos

East Cone 1990-present San Juan de Lurigancho

The Invasion

• After several years residence

• Pay to join invasion committee

• Planned by architects

• Holy Days, National Holidays, Public Holidays, weekends, government crisis

• Appeal to patriotism or religiosity of nation or landlords

5. Progressive Development(Consolidation)

(Positive Adaptation)

Progressive Development

The gradual development of • housing • community • utilities• employment.

Depends on • finance • health • motivation • priorities • government policy

Progressive Development of Homes

• chosa (matting hut)

• peripheral wall

• internal walls

• concrete roof

• second floor

• more

chosas

Chosa, foundations and peripheral wall

Chosa, shop and peripheral wall

Chosa, peripheral wall from casa noble

Wood

Water cylinder

cement bag

Roofing: tiles, iron, electricity tubes

Roofing concreting

Casa noble Carmen de la Legua 1965

Progressive Development(after Turner 1967)

Year Homes Water Energy Education Shops Roads

1-2 chosa drums

tankers

kerosene private nursery

market

stalls

bars

dust

4-5 walls temporary roof

stand pipe

generator primary schools

chemist

cinema

cafes

compact

10-12 concrete roof

1st floor

piped mains secondary stationersbakers

garage

surfaced lights

20-40 2,3, storeys

subletting

mains college

university

malls

industry

restaurant

dual carriage

Moving from Carmen de la Legua to Comas

Carmen de la Legua 1965 view of my house

Carmen de la Legua 1982 view of my house

Carmen de la Legua 2003 view of home

Carmen de la Legua 1965

Carmen de la Legua 1982

Carmen de la Legua 2003

By 1974 its transformation into an urban barrio was almost complete – paved roads, uniform lotes, water and electrical services, urban style houses constructed with permanent materials, and a central plaza around which stood municipal buildings, a movie theatre, and a church all were

established.’ (Lobo 1982 p 42)

Town Hall Carmen de la Legua 2003

Comas 1965 view left from front door

Comas 1982 view left from front door

Comas 2003 view left from front door

Comas Avenida Tupac Amaru 1965

Comas Avenida Tupac Amaru 1982

Comas Avenida Tupac Amaru 2003

Maria: Restaurante El Once 1965 and Salon de Belleza 1983 Comas

Comas private sector housing

2003

6. Employment

Ambulante selling tobacco, chewing gum, sweets

Open air office

domestica

Mobile furniture store

Julio and Helsomina(Susan Lobo 1982)

1969• Belt factory (J)• Tailor (J)• Kerosene• Metal recycling• Vegetables at market• Wool balls• Brick recycling• Guinea pigs• Chickens• Chicha• TV

1974• Belt factory• Front of house store• Beer• Zappo• Ducks• Chicken• Goats• Sheep• Wool• Refrigerator• Typewriter (daughter)• Electric repair (son)

• Job +

• Overtime +

• Fringe benefits +

• Part time jobs (cachuelas) +

• Reciprocity: exchange labour for goods +

• Reciprocity: exchange labour for labour

• Varied and flexible repertoire

INCOME =

Employment: informal & formalInformal

• housefront stores

• car cleaning

• domestics

• ambulantes

• bootblacks

• seamstresses

• artisans repair and creation

Formal

• wages

• social security

• drivers

• Builders

• waiters

• clerks

• shop assistants

• factory workers

7. Government Policies

Government Policies

• Do nothing • Eradicate: bulldoze, burn• Contain: Law• Prevent: planning, municipal housing• Facilitate: site & service, credit, technical,

improve & incorporate• Correct: remodel, relocate

8. Hope or Despair?

Problem or Solution?

The Informal Approach

Advantages

• Cheaper• Non-monetary input• Early escape from

slums• Added value to land• Stimulated

construction and service industries

Disadvantages

• Slow• Poor conditions• Low quality• Uneconomic use of

space & resources

Lima’s barriadas Why so successful?

(John Turner 2004)

• When dwellers control the major decisions and

• are free to make use of their own contributions in the design, construction or management of their housing,

• both this process and the environment produced stimulate individual and social well-being.

Lima’s barriadas Why so successful?

(Susan Lobo 1992)

Positive adaptation• Build a community (material and spiritual)• Accomplish goals• View themselves and their future positively

Through• Kinship and paisanos• Alliances and compadrazgo• Control: migration & house construction• Flexibility

References

• http://comasweb.com• Dietz, H. 1998 Urban Poverty, Political Participation and the

State: Lima 1970-1990. University of Pittsburgh Press• Gilbert, A. 1994 The Latin American City. Latin America

Bureau. • Lloyd, P. 1979 Slums of Hope? Pelican.• Lloyd, P. 1980 The ‘Young Towns’ of Lima. Cambridge

University Press.• Lobo, S. 1982 A House of My Own. University of Arizona Press.• Morrish, M. 1984 Squatter Settlement in the Third World.

Geography 16-19. Longman.• Smith, C.T. 1988 Population and Development in Peru. John

Murray.