1. Lima’s Slums: Problems or Solutions?
Professor Bill Chambers
Liverpool Hope University
President
Geographical Association
Annual Conference 30th March 2005
University of Derby

2. Lecture Structure Peru Migration Housing in Lima Growth of Lima
Progressive Development
Employment
Government Policies
Hope or Despair?

3. 1. Peru

4. Source: www.politicalresources.net

5. Costa: The Atacama Desert

6. Peru and UK (World Bank 2004)

7. Atacama Desert (driest in the world)
Peru
Three Zones
Costa
Atacama Desert (driest in the world)
Sierra
Andes (2nd highest mountains in world)
Selva
Amazon (largest tropical rainforest in world)
Source: Coleccion Huascaran, Lima

8. Sierra: The Andes

9. Selva: The Amazon Basin

10. Peru: Population by Region

11. 2. Migration

12. Primacy of Lima: ‘the head of a giant on the body of a dwarf’29

13. Reasons for Primacy capital city (work, culture, civilisation)
largest port (Callao)
traditional home of Vice-Roy in Colonial

14. Migration City centre v Paisanos 40% Costa 50% Andes
mainly central-southern Andes
young/ambitious
earthquakes
rural poverty
land tenure in Andes
infant mortality
guerrillas
cocaine
El Nino
modernisation of coast

15. Source: Children in Peru, Peru Support Unit 1991

18. 3. Housing in Lima

19. Callejon

21. Slums/turgurios and Squatter settlements
Housing for Lima Poor
Slums/turgurios and Squatter settlements
alleys & tenements (callejones) 64%
workers’ housing 20%
decaying mansions 11%
city plots (corralones) %
government projects
private sector
squatter settlements (barriadas)

22. Squatter Settlements Barriadas Urbanizaciones Populares
Urbanisationes Marginales
Pueblos Jovenes
Asentiamentos Humanos

23. Barriadas A residential community
formed by low income families in which the
houses are constructed in large measure by the residents themselves and
which are generally but not exclusively formed illegally.
(Collins 1975)

24. 4. Growth of Lima

25. Lima Population Growth
Year
Population
1941
598000
1945
645000
1961
1972
1981
1990
2005

26. Source:
J. Matos Mar
1977
Las Barriadas
de Lima 1957

27. Source:
J. Matos Mar
1977
Las Barriadas
de Lima 1967

28. Source:
J. Matos Mar
1977
Las Barriadas
de Lima 1977

30. Centro cerro
San Cristobal

31. my house
Rio Rimac floodplain : Carmen de la Legua and San Martin de Porres 1965

32. Andes foothills
Comas

33. my house
Comas 1965

34. Southern Atacama desert: Tupac Amaru

35. Geographical distribution unoccupied, state or church or absentee landlord owned

36. The Invasion After several years residence
Pay to join invasion committee
Planned by architects
Holy Days, National Holidays, Public Holidays, weekends, government crisis
Appeal to patriotism or religiosity of nation or landlords

38. 5. Progressive Development
(Consolidation)
(Positive Adaptation)

39. Progressive Development
The gradual development of
housing
community
utilities
employment.
Depends on
finance
health
motivation
priorities
government policy

40. Progressive Development of Homes
chosa (matting hut)
peripheral wall
internal walls
concrete roof
second floor
more

41. chosas

42. Chosa, foundations and peripheral wall

43. Chosa, shop and peripheral wall

44. Chosa, peripheral wall from casa noble

45. cement bag
Wood
Water cylinder

46. Roofing: tiles, iron,
electricity tubes

47. Roofing concreting

48. Casa noble Carmen de la Legua 1965

49. Progressive Development (after Turner 1967)
Year
Homes
Water
Energy
Education
Shops
Roads
1-2
chosa
drums
tankers
kerosene
private nursery
market
stalls
bars
dust
4-5
walls temporary roof
stand pipe
generator
primary schools
chemist
cinema
cafes
compact
10-12
concrete roof
1st floor
piped
mains
secondary
stationersbakers
garage
surfaced lights
20-40
2,3, storeys
subletting
college
university
malls
industry
restaurant
dual carriage

50. Moving from Carmen de la Legua to Comas
Carmen de la Legua 1965 view of my house

51. Carmen de la Legua 1982 view of my house

52. Carmen de la Legua 2003 view of home

53. Carmen de la Legua 1965

54. Carmen de la Legua 1982

55. Carmen de la Legua 2003
By 1974 its transformation into an urban barrio was almost complete – paved roads, uniform lotes, water and electrical services, urban style houses constructed with permanent materials, and a central plaza around which stood municipal buildings, a movie theatre, and a church all were established.’ (Lobo 1982 p 42)

56. Town Hall Carmen de la Legua 2003

57. Comas 1965 view left from front door

58. Comas 1982 view left from front door

59. Comas 2003 view left from front door

60. Comas Avenida Tupac Amaru 1965

61. Comas Avenida Tupac Amaru 1982

62. Comas Avenida Tupac Amaru 2003

63. Maria: Restaurante El Once 1965 and Salon de Belleza 1983 Comas

64. Comas private sector housing 2003

66. 6. Employment

67. Ambulante selling tobacco, chewing gum, sweets

68. Open air office

69. domestica

70. Mobile furniture store

74. Julio and Helsomina (Susan Lobo 1982)
1969
Belt factory (J)
Tailor (J)
Kerosene
Metal recycling
Vegetables at market
Wool balls
Brick recycling
Guinea pigs
Chickens
Chicha TV
1974
Belt factory
Front of house store
Beer
Zappo
Ducks
Chicken
Goats
Sheep
Wool
Refrigerator
Typewriter (daughter)
Electric repair (son)

75. INCOME = Job + Overtime + Fringe benefits +
Part time jobs (cachuelas) +
Reciprocity: exchange labour for goods +
Reciprocity: exchange labour for labour
Varied and flexible repertoire

76. Employment: informal & formal
housefront stores
car cleaning
domestics
ambulantes
bootblacks
seamstresses
artisans repair and creation
Formal
wages
social security
drivers
Builders
waiters
clerks
shop assistants
factory workers

77. 7. Government Policies

78. Government Policies Do nothing Eradicate: bulldoze, burn Contain: Law
Prevent: planning, municipal housing
Facilitate: site & service, credit, technical, improve & incorporate
Correct: remodel, relocate

79. 8. Hope or Despair?
Problem or Solution?

80. The Informal Approach Advantages Disadvantages Cheaper Slow
Non-monetary input
Early escape from slums
Added value to land
Stimulated construction and service industries
Disadvantages
Slow
Poor conditions
Low quality
Uneconomic use of space & resources

81. Lima’s barriadas Why so successful? (John Turner 2004)
When dwellers control the major decisions and
are free to make use of their own contributions in the design, construction or management of their housing,
both this process and the environment produced stimulate individual and social well-being.

82. Lima’s barriadas Why so successful? (Susan Lobo 1992)
Positive adaptation
Build a community (material and spiritual)
Accomplish goals
View themselves and their future positively
Through
Kinship and paisanos
Alliances and compadrazgo
Control: migration & house construction
Flexibility

83. References http://comasweb.com
Dietz, H Urban Poverty, Political Participation and the State: Lima University of Pittsburgh Press
Gilbert, A The Latin American City. Latin America Bureau.
Lloyd, P Slums of Hope? Pelican.
Lloyd, P The ‘Young Towns’ of Lima. Cambridge University Press.
Lobo, S A House of My Own. University of Arizona Press.
Morrish, M Squatter Settlement in the Third World. Geography Longman.
Smith, C.T Population and Development in Peru. John Murray.