Learn how COVID-19 has impacted the world’s most vulnerable populations, across the Global South, and understand the varied responses and governance issues in self-organized, self-built urban poor communities.
Learn how COVID-19 has impacted the world’s most vulnerable populations, across the Global South, and understand the varied responses and governance issues in self-organized, self-built urban poor communities.
The COVID-19 pandemic epitomizes existing vulnerabilities. While multiple international and national guidelines have been released, it remains unclear the extent to which these so-called “best practices” are actually adequate for the particular challenges facing self-organized communities in self-built, urban poor settlements. Without adequate housing, substandard water and sanitation infrastructure, or living with day-to-day informal incomes, is not possible for up to a billion of the world’s population to face the health crisis with social isolation and frequent handwashing.
● The characteristics of self-organized urban poor communities
● The particularities of health issues in informal settlements
● The different sets of COVID-19 guidelines from international and national organizations
● The nature of COVID-19 local responses across the Global South
● The centrality of communities’ organized response in the COVID-19 crisis
Ceasar McDowell is a Professor of the Practice of Civic Design at MIT and Associate Head of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. He is also Associate Director of the MIT Center for Constructive Communication, and Chair of the Master in City Planning Program within DUSP.
Ceasar teaches on civic and community engagement and the use of social technology to enhance both. His current work is on the design of civic infrastructures and processes to connect the increasingly demographically complex public. He co-hosts the WeWhoEngage a podcast series on civic design. Ceasar brings his deep commitment to the work of building beloved, just and equitable communities that are able to – as his friend Carl Moore says – ”struggle with traditions that bind and the interests that separate in order to build a future that is an equitable improvement on the past.”
Amelia is a third year undergraduate student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is studying Urban Planning, with hopes of continuing on into the international development field post-graduation. She has been working on a research project with the other authors of this course regarding the response to COVID-19 in informal settlements throughout the global south, and has previous experience in biology research in both wet and dry labs. Outside of school, she participates in club soccer, Alpha Chi Omega, and the Undergraduate Association at MIT. She is also a tour guide for MIT and has a passion for traveling.
Daniela holds a Master in City Planning from MIT (International Development Group). Originally from Argentina, she has over 10 years' professional experience in the national and international public and non-profit sector, specializing in socio-urban integration and self-built urban human settlements. Currently, she works as a consultant for local governments, INGOs and grassroots networks of the urban poor in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. She has also worked at UNDP Argentina, IECAH Spain and various local governments. She holds an MA in International Cooperation and Public Policy (Ortega y Gasset Madrid, Spain) and a BA in Political Science (Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina). Her research interests include global governance, social justice and infrastructure equity.
Joaquin is a lecturer in urban sociology and PhD candidate at the School of Social Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires. Visiting SPURS Fellow at MIT for the academic year 2019-2020, he holds a Masters in Urban Studies and a BA in Sociology. He teaches and researches about urban policies, housing, participation, and slum upgrading in Argentina. Before becoming an academic, he worked for the Government of the City of Buenos Aires monitoring and evaluating social programs, and for the non-profit sector, assisting community leaders in their demands for adequate housing and human rights in informal settlements.
Marcelle is a trained architect with a passion for socially driven participatory design processes within urbanism and, in particular, its intersection with gender inclusivity. Working within a context of informal urban neighbourhoods in Africa, she has been fundraising, technically supporting, and working to bring awareness to the incredible potential of women-led transnational community grassroots movements in implementing sustainable solutions for the future. With over 20 years of multi-disciplinary experience behind her, she has combined both her technical and creative background with international development. Currently, her work sees her strongly advocating for women as agents of change, both on the continent and in the diaspora, focusing on livelihoods and entrepreneurship.