Urban Regeneration as a Catalyst for Slum Transformation

Urban Regeneration as a Catalyst for Slum Transformation shows how combining area-based urban regeneration with slum upgrading delivers inclusive, climate-resilient neighbourhoods. It frames transformation across five dimensions—physical, economic, social, environmental and governance—and anchors it in principles of inclusion, participation, evidence and affordability, consistent with PSUP’s keys to successful upgrading (from tenure security to city-wide approaches and long-term finance). 

Integrating regeneration with upgrading prevents marginalisation and strengthens equal access to services, public space, education and livelihoods; it also embeds nature-based, climate-resilient solutions, coordinates investment, and empowers community-led change—helping to break cycles of poverty.

A practical matrix maps common challenges—poor connectivity, insufficient affordable housing, unemployment and informality, insecurity of tenure, limited green space and disaster risk—to actionable interventions: in-situ housing improvement with strategic relocations; walkability and city-wide links; microfinance and livelihood programmes; land value capture and tenure regularisation; co-designed public spaces and safety; NbS, waste management and risk reduction; and the institutional frameworks and local leadership needed for long-term transformation.     

Case studies illustrate the approach in action: Canterbury, Jamaica—community centre, public spaces and social enterprise, with permeable paving and participatory design; Kenya’s KENSUP—services first, NMT-friendly roads and a dedicated upgrading fund; Rio de Janeiro—connecting favelas, gender-sensitive services and risk mitigation; and Medellín’s PRIMED—tenure formalisation, mobility, parks, enterprise support and participatory budgeting.       

Designed for local governments and partners, the publication offers a rights-based, city-wide pathway to reduce spatial injustice and displacement through integrated regeneration and upgrading, aligned with UN-Habitat’s Inclusive Communities, Thriving Cities flagship.