Can democratic decentralisation promote good governance for housing the urban poor in Bangladesh?

Ashiq-Ur-Rahman, M., Wang, Y.P. and Smith, H. (2011) Can democratic decentralisation promote good governance for housing the urban poor in Bangladesh? In: 40 Years of Bangladesh: Retrospect and Future Prospects, Bath University, Bath, UK, 26-29 Nov 2011, pp. 1-19.

Abstract

Under the urban management paradigm, it has been assumed that democratic decentralisation through the organisational arrangement of deconcentration, delegation, devolution and privatisation can aid better access to service provision for the urban poor in developing countries like Bangladesh. Little attention has been paid, either in the literature or in practice, to the housing process of the urban poor in Bangladesh, which depends on the combination of different organisational arrangements and services. Similar to international experience, in Bangladesh, formal rules and resources-based organisational arrangements of decentralisation and social capital-based informal organisational arrangements have produced varied outcomes in addressing the challenges of tenure security, access to services and finance for housing the urban poor. Drawing on the analysis of two urban poor settlements in Bangladesh and analysing the literature and policy documents, this paper explores the impact of different organisational arrangements in addressing the challenges related to housing the urban poor in Bangladesh.

• Item Type: Conference Proceedings
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Wang, Professor Ya Ping
• Authors: Ashiq-Ur-Rahman, M., Wang, Y.P., and Smith, H.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies