How informal settlements (slums) will reshape the world | Jota Samper | TEDxCU

Informal settlements (what some call slums) are the most common form of urbanization on the planet, accounting for one-third of the total urban form. It is expected that by the mid-twenty-first-century, up to three billion people will live in these urban environments. However, we lack a consistent mapping method to pinpoint where that informality is located or how it expands. Jota Samper explores the implications of that growth in the atlas of informality and how by visibilizing informal communities, we can be made aware of innovations by these communities that can save the planet. Jota Samper is an assistant professor in the Environmental Design (ENVD) program at the University of Colorado Boulder. His work concentrates on sustainable urban growth and dwells at the intersection between urban informality and urban violent conflict. He obtained his BA in architecture in National University of Colombia in Medellín, a Master’s in City Planning from MIT and a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning, also from MIT, where he also taught as a lecturer. He is a co-founder of Mobility/Movilidad a nonprofit dedicated to choreograph meaningful conversations, video archive and mapping with marginalized communities. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx