Concept in Definition ABC

In some large urban concentrations of the planet as a whole there are nuclei of population extreme poverty and marginality. Normally they are originally illegal lands that have slowly been populated in a chaotic and disorderly way and where living conditions are very precarious. These types of settlements are known as favelas. As for the term, it comes from the Portuguese that is spoken in Brazil and refers to a very resistant plant, the faveila, which was used in the 19th century to build the homes of the first residents of this type of suburbs in some cities of Brazil.

Although this phenomenon is associated with the large cities of Brazil and Latin AmericaIt is a global reality that appears in large cities in Africa, Asia or in countries like Spain (in Spain the word shanty is used to designate the slums in these urban areas).

From an urban point of view, the favelas lack basic services (supply of drinking water, electricity and community services)

It must be taken into account that these are areas that have been developed outside the urban planning programs of the cities.

From a social point of view, the favelas are a focus of poverty, marginalization and violence. They have one population density very high and high unemployment rates. The social problems associated with numbers are: child malnutrition, illiteracy, drug addiction, high crime rates, etc.

Although each favela has its own history and idiosyncrasies, most of them are a consequence of the rural exodus to the big cities. In this context, some individuals do not find a conventional life in the big city and are forced to live in favelas.

Marginalization in urban space and the case of the "banlieues" in France

The favela is not the only focus of marginal urban space. In fact, when European cities began to grow uncontrollably in the Middle Ages, urban spaces associated with the poorest classes, the suburbs, were developed. In most of today's cities there are the well-known suburbs, slums and degraded neighborhoods.

An example of a very particular suburb is that of some cities in France. This phenomenon is known by the word banlieue, neighborhoods on the periphery in which there is permanent social tension.

The social exclusion in the urban space it has different names: favela, suburb, suburb, banlieu or ghetto. Whatever word we use, the people who live in them are in a kind of apartheid.

Photos: Fotolia - Wong Sze Fei / Anekoho