Spatiotemporal dynamics of slum populations in Caracas, Venezuela

Abstract

Knowledge on the quantity of slum populations is often nonexistent or contains uncertainties. Adding to these uncertainties, the temporal dynamics of slum populations are known to be high. However, these temporal dynamics have rarely been addressed by research studies. We analyse the temporal and spatial dynamics of slums in the South American city of Caracas. To do this, we record the spatial extent of slums at two points in time and estimate the population using globally available datasets. By combining the resulting datasets with data on infrastructures and topography, we are able to verify statements made in the literature about the growth of slums.