This story is a synopsis of a 5 day meeting in Vancouver Canada of the UN World Urban Forum. They predict 38% of the urban growth will be in slums. This will lead to enormous problems which the Forum doesn't feel are being effectively addressed.

An article that briefly informs on two kinds of problems linked to each other. On one hand, there's the overall problem of urban growth, which, left to hazard, tend to be chaotic, generating other problems of general concern, like poverty and extreme pollution. The other major problem is a problem of policy, intervention strategy and cooperation between the players: the funding organizations, the central administration, NGOs and the target populations. As Mr. Rose Molokoane says, a solution to the problem should actively involve everybody within concerted smaller local projects that are able to focus better on supporting the initiatives of grassroots organizations.

The "slumization" of the world's cities had become an important agenda item for the United Nations. The story looks at the recent conference in Vancouver and some of the points raised about how to address the issue.