
Rising Urban Stars: A Story of Spontaneous Settlements Ashnita Singh and Mohammed Iftikar Khan
Abstract
The proliferation of squatters is an unavoidable urban feature. Illegal settlements of underserved urbanites, known in the literature as shanty towns, mushroom slums, and marginal or “spontaneous” settlements and areas, narrate a distinctive story of urban landscapes. Squatters materialize under varying circumstances, among which is the premise of rapid urbanization. Thus, urbanization in the Pacific is a defining characteristic of resource deprivation. Pacific Island Countries, including Fiji, continue to urbanize, leading to squatting trends. The prospect of such continuations makes urban boroughs vulnerable spaces, given it strengthens the probability of a squatter boom and the deprivation-squatter cycle.
Keywords:
deprivation, urbanization, squatter, self-help, Progressive Development SchoolReferences
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Ashnita Singh is a research candidate at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. She is passionate about writing scholarly pieces pertaining to global developmental discourse and those central to Pacific communities. Email: ashnita_s@yahoo.com
Mohammed Iftikar Khan is a senior leader at BlueScope Steel (Fiji). He has been a long-standing actor in the fields of Business Management, Project Management, Safety, Environment and Quality, and ISO Management System(s) implementation. He is devoted to women empowerment, leadership dynamics, and socioeconomic subjects of modern economies. Email: iftikar.khan@ymail.com