As urbanization, environmental degradation, and poverty become increasingly urgent problems, understanding the links between sustainability and poverty reduction is imperative. A sustainable urban future for all requires raising the quality of life of the most vulnerable. Existing at the margins of urban life, low-income residents of cities in the global south are subject to numerous environmental burdens and are too often excluded from mainstream development and planning. In the face of these challenges, communities have proven to be remarkably resilient and innovative. This book attempts to show how this potential can be harnessed, by showcasing sustainable solutions developed by the urban poor themselves and present the findings of participatory action research projects funded by IDRC’s ECOPOLIS. The studies, conducted in the growing urban and peri-urban areas of Peru, Senegal, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, the Philippines,Thailand, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, outline concrete strategies for sustainable urban living and design, developed in partnership with low income city dwellers.Published in association with IDRC.

Introduction
PART I: PROVIDING SECURE AND LOW-COST HOUSING
1: Socio-Spatial Interactions and Tensions: Analysis of “Low- Cost” Condominium Housing in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2. Housing for the Urban Poor Through Informal Providers in Dhaka City, Bangladesh
PART II: IMPROVING FOOD AND WATER SECURITY
3. Nutritious Trees in Urban Areas: An Innovative Poverty Alleviation Strategy in Villa El Salvador, Peru 4. Partnership Alternatives for the Management of Drinking Water in Urban Slums: Case of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
5. Urban Agriculture in Dakar, Senegal: Health Issues Associated with Polluted Irrigation Water
PART III: MANAGING SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
6. Using Participatory Urban Design for the Integration of Organic Solid Waste Management with Urban Agriculture: A Case Study from the Philippines
7. Re-think, Re-use: Improving Collective Action
PART IV: DEVELOPING A PRODUCTIVE ECOSYSTEM THROUGH PARTICIPATORY DESIGN
8. Healthy, Sustainable, and Culturally Appropriate Living and Working Environments: A Case Study of Pig Breeders in Malika, Senegal Capacity for Solid Waste Management and Income Generation in Thailand
9. Participatory Transformation of a Women’s Centre in Malika, Senegal: Toward the Development of Productive Ecosystems in Suburban Contexts
Conclusion

Mélanie Robertson Dr Mélanie Robertson is a Senior Program Officer at International Development Research Council, Ottawa, Canada. She is responsible for the management of the Ecopolis grant program of IDRC through which the research in this book is funded