TED Talks Daily The informal settlements reshaping the world | Jota Samper
Jul 29, 2021
In this engaging discussion, Jota Samper, an environmental design researcher, sheds light on the transformative power of informal settlements. He argues these often-misunderstood neighborhoods are hotbeds of innovation crucial for urban evolution. Samper shares inspiring stories of resilience from communities in places like Medellin, highlighting their unique solutions to urban challenges. He emphasizes the need for better data to bridge the gap between wealth and poverty, advocating for inclusion in urban planning to ensure a sustainable future.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
School Switch
- Jota Samper switched from a private to a public school where most students lived in poverty.
- This exposed him to the realities of informal settlements and inspired his research.
Invisible Cities
- Informal settlements represent a widespread form of urbanization, housing over a billion people.
- Paradoxically, these vast communities often remain invisible and lack sufficient data.
Data Scarcity
- The lack of data on informal settlements hinders understanding and development of helpful tools.
- Samper created the Atlas of Informality to visualize these populations and their unique city-making processes.