Research summary
How can urban planners and other professionals help cities in the global south—where poor populations are expanding quickly—meet the growing need for housing, transportation and jobs? How can cities ensure that economic growth and social development are in balance with the natural systems upon which cities depend? As Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Urbanization in the Global South, Dr. Danielle Labbé aims to answer these important questions.She and her research team are exploring the “real life” urban development dynamics unfolding at the peripheries of rapidly growing cities. They seek to understand how connections between the state’s urban development intentions, existing governance practices and everyday life are shaping urbanization and affecting its sustainability. Ultimately, their work may uncover the driving forces behind urban livability, alternative practices and progressive ideas about long-term urban futures that will lead to more sustainable development.