Dunoon, Captown
South Africa

Dunoon is a township located in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The first plot of land in Dunoon was surveyed in 1996, marking the beginning of formal housing development. However, informal shacks quickly proliferated alongside these developments.

Across Potsdam Road from Dunoon lies Site 5, an informal settlement consisting of shacks. Dunoon has gained notoriety for its involvement in violent, xenophobic protests targeting foreign residents in the area.
Manilla
Philippines

"Manila" often refers to the entire metropolitan region, including the greater metropolitan area and the city proper. Officially known as Metro Manila, this capital region of the Philippines encompasses not only the city of Manila but also larger areas such as Quezon City and the Makati Central Business District.

Manila is the most populous region in the Philippines, ranks among the most densely populated urban areas globally, and is one of the wealthiest regions in Southeast Asia.
Nairobi
Kenya

Nairobi's distribution varies by income, with affluent suburbs such as Karen, Langata, and Runda in the west and north-central, contrasting with lower-income neighborhoods like Dandora, Kayole, and Umoja in the east.

Kibera, one of the largest informal settlements, has a disputed population, ranging from 185,777 (government figures) to estimates of 500,000-1,000,000 (NGO sources).
Mumbai
India

As of the 2011 census, Mumbai city had a population of 12.48 million and a population density of 20,482 people per square kilometer. The broader Mumbai Metropolitan Region housed 20.75 million people, with 9 million slum dwellers, constituting 38.5% of the region's population—an increase from 6 million in 2001.

Despite its challenges, Greater Mumbai under the MCGM administration has a 94.7% literacy rate, well above the national average, while the average living space per person is limited to 4.5 square meters (48 sq ft).
Mexico City
Mexico

In 2020, Mexico City had a population of 9.2 million within its 1,495 square kilometers (577 sq mi). The Greater Mexico City metropolitan area, with a population of 21.8 million, is the sixth-largest metropolitan area globally, the second-largest in the Western Hemisphere after São Paulo, and the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world.

With a 2011 GDP of $411 billion, it is one of the most productive urban areas worldwide, generating 15.8% of Mexico's GDP, and the metropolitan area contributes about 22%. If considered a country in 2013, Mexico City would rank as the fifth-largest economy in Latin America.
São Paulo
Brazil

São Paulo's urban growth has shifted over time, starting as a compact city where social groups lived in proximity until the 1940s. From the 1940s to 1980s, a center-periphery model emerged, with wealthier residents in central areas and poorer populations in informal housing on the outskirts. Since the 1980s, social classes have become spatially closer but remain divided by walls and security systems, unlike planned cities like Brasília or Belo Horizonte.

Plans like the 1920s Avenues Plan modernized São Paulo with infrastructure connecting the center to the periphery but largely benefited wealthier groups. These initiatives drove gentrification and pushed poorer residents to unregulated peripheral areas. Critics argue such plans reinforced inequality by neglecting the needs of working-class populations.
Seattle, Washington
United States

Seattle experienced a significant construction and population boom following the Great Recession. This sparked a historic building surge, culminating in nearly 10,000 apartments completed in 2017—almost double the number built in 2016. From 2010 to 2015, Seattle grew by an average of 14,511 residents annually, with growth concentrated in the city center and unemployment dropping from 9% to 3.6%.

However, rapid growth has strained the city, with over 45,000 households spending more than half their income on housing, at least 2,800 homeless individuals. These challenges highlight the pressures of balancing expansion with affordability and infrastructure needs.
Buenos Aires
Argentina

Villas miseria are slums ranging from small clusters of precarious homes to large communities with thousands of residents, found primarily around major cities like Buenos Aires, Rosario, Córdoba, and Mendoza. In rural areas, these homes are often built with mud and wood, reflecting the extreme poverty of their inhabitants.

Buenos Aires faces severe green space shortages, offering less than 2 m² (22 sq ft) of green space per person—far below the 9 m² (97 sq ft) minimum recommended by the World Health Organization. This is significantly less than cities like New York, Madrid, and Paris, impacting public health and quality of life.