Transforming Informality: Redevelopment and Urban Governance in China, India, and Brazil

Author/Contributor(s):	Zhang, Yue
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Date:	12/22/2026
Binding:	Paperback
Condition:	NEW

Transforming Informality explores how informal settlements are redeveloped in three major emerging economies: China, India, and Brazil. Focusing on urban villages in Guangzhou, slums in Mumbai, and favelas in Rio de Janeiro and movement occupations in São Paulo, it shows how large-scale urban transformation affects the lives of millions of urban residents. The book argues that divergent redevelopment outcomes are primarily shaped by different models of urban governance. Building on two key dimensions-effectiveness and inclusiveness-it develops a typology of urban governance to explain these variations. Drawing on rich historical archives and extensive fieldwork, the study offers new insights into urbanization, governance, and citizenship in the Global South.