Chapter 3. General characteristics of the case studies

Authors

Andrés Cuesta Beleño
Universidad La Gran Colombia
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7936-2255

Synopsis

Upon reviewing the information in The New Urban Agenda (UN-Habitat, 2020), it was found that poverty in Latin America has been increasing in recent decades due to urban land prices, low land development, land market issues, and a lack of city planning. These factors prevent low-income individuals from obtaining housing in urban areas, leading the population to settle illegally, mostly in peripheral areas, putting their lives, assets, and futures at risk. This phenomenon—characterized by dynamics outside of general non-state conditions—is known as informal settlements or, commonly, squatter settlements

Author Biography

Andrés Cuesta Beleño, Universidad La Gran Colombia

He holds a degree in architecture from the Universidad del Atlántico and a master’s degree in urban planning from the National University of Colombia, Medellín campus. He has served as director of the Research Center of the School of Architecture (Cifar) at the Catholic University of Colombia and of the Research Center for Habitat, Development, and Peace (Cihdep) at La Salle University (2008–2016). Classified by Minciencias as an associate researcher for the 2019–2021 period. Member of the Territorial Habitat Design and Management research group affiliated with La Gran Colombia University, classified in Category B by Minciencias. 

Portada_Complejidad y resiliencia

Volume

Complexity and resilience in informal settlements: Strategies for habitat and its territorial articulation

Pages

77-89

Published

April 29, 2026

Series

Arquitectura

Categories

Copyright (c) 2026 Andrés Cuesta Beleño (Autor/a)

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Cuesta Beleño, A. (2026). Chapter 3. General characteristics of the case studies. In (Ed.), Complexity and resilience in informal settlements: Strategies for habitat and its territorial articulation (pp. 77-89). Editorial Universidad La Gran Colombia. https://omp.ugc.edu.co/index.php/catalagoeditorial/catalog/book/978-628-7626-70-6/chapter/269