Name: The hidden world of shadow cities
Uploaded: 2007-01-02T00:11:00Z
Duration: 13 min 50 s
Description: Robert Neuwirth, author of "Shadow Cities," finds the world's squatter sites -- where a billion people now make their homes -- to be thriving centers of ingenuity and innovation. He takes us on a tour.

Robert Neuwirth, author of "Shadow Cities," finds the world's squatter sites -- where a billion people now make their homes -- to be thriving centers of ingenuity and innovation. He takes us on a tour.

Robert Neuwirth: The hidden world of shadow cities

The hidden world of shadow cities

Every minute, 130 people migrate to urban areas, spotlighting squatter cities as tomorrow's urban norm, housing a billion by 2030.

In squatter cities, creativity flourishes as communities self-build, tapping into illegal electricity and crafting homes from scraps.

Security of tenure, not necessarily property rights, fuels urban development in squatter cities, offering a path to legality and growth.