Geography
The Spatial Dynamics of Informal Settlements Near Riverine Floodplains
Quick fact
In many rapidly urbanizing cities, informal settlements on floodplains are not accidental: they are a systematic outcome of exclusionary housing markets that push the poor onto the only land they can afford, creating a self-organized urban form that is intimately shaped by the rhythm of floods.
Why this is interesting
Every year, floods force millions from their homes—and yet, many of the world's most vulnerable people deliberately build their lives on riverbanks that routinely go underwater. Why do they stay?