noun phrase · academic
informal settlements
UK/ɪnˈfɔːməl ˈsɛtlmənts/US/ɪnˈfɔrməl ˈsɛtlmənts/in·FORM·al SETT·le·ments
Areas where housing has been built without formal planning or legal title, often lacking basic services.
Examples
“Many informal settlements lack sanitation and secure tenure, which creates public-health challenges.”
“Upgrading informal settlements can improve living conditions without mass evictions.”
“Informal settlements often emerge on the city periphery where land is cheapest.”
Band 8 sentence
“Rather than evicting residents, a more humane policy is to upgrade informal settlements by providing sanitation, secure tenure and affordable utilities.”
Collocations
- squat in informal settlements
- upgrade informal settlements
Word family
Common mistakes
small village is an informal settlement→a slum or informal settlement
many informals settlements→many informal settlements
Say it for a higher band
5slum→6shantytown→7+informal settlements
Synonyms
slums
Easily confused
slums
“The city initiated a programme to improve slums and informal settlements on its outskirts.”
shantytown
“Aid organisations focused on improving sanitation in the shantytown.”
Related words
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In City & Urban life
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