For the first time in history, most people live in cities. One in seven are living in slums, the most excluded parts of cities, in which the basics of urban life—including adequate housing, accessible sanitation, and reliable transportation—are largely unavailable. Why are some cities more successful than others in reducing inequalities in the built environment? In Urban Power, Benjamin Bradlow explores this question, examining the effectiveness of urban governance in two “megacities” in young democracies: Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Both cities came out of periods of authoritarian rule with similarly high inequalities and similar policy priorities to lower them. And yet Sao Paulo has been far more successful than Johannesburg in improving access to basic urban goods.
Bradlow examines the relationships between local government bureaucracies and urban social movements that have shaped these outcomes.