Although some governments acknowledge the existence of slums and informal settlements, many do not. This lack of recognition and subsequent response directly undermines city-wide sustainable development and prosperity to the detriment of millions of urban dwellers, and also results in forced evictions.

Informal settlements and slums continue to be spatially disengaged from broader urban systems and remain excluded from mainstream urban opportunities, their nature yet to be further understood despite evidence suggesting an inextricable link between location and the persistence of intergenerational poverty and economic inequality.