Preface

In the Preface to the book, a few lines explaining the origin of this book wouldn’t be out of place. Nature Sustainability Journal featured our article on the circular economy-slum model that we have been working on for a few years. Following up on this ground-breaking publication, we were interested in expanding our knowledge by proposing a book to Springer Nature on the subject. After considerable revision and additions, the proposed edited book has come to fruition with quality contributions from authors from different developing regions. Over the years, we have come to appreciate the difficulty our peers face when trying to learn about the opportunities associated with slums in our growing cities. The available books mostly focus on socio-economic and environmental problems associated with slums than anything else. The space of slum research has evolved and transformed from a relatively inward-looking view of slum pathogenicity to an outward-looking view that seeks opportunities. With the rising optimism about the social, economic, and environmental prospects that the circular economy holds for many emerging and developing economies, it is time to enrich the macro-level analysis of the circular economy by incorporating the slum aspect of the debate. We believe that for successful inclusive city planning to be realized, policy makers, practitioners, and academics do not need a narrow perspective of the slum story. Instead, they need a working understanding of what questions to ask and when to ask, what approaches to employ to get the answers, and how to interpret the results correctly. The book is structured to make circular economy-slum research interactive and easy to understand. We have used illustrations to communicate with our readers and present cutting-edge research across different developing country contexts. The book combines essential concepts with classic and current case studies illustrating a macro-level analysis of the synergies from different countries. The chapters are thorough, balanced in coverage, and bite-sized in length so that readers do not lose grip of their attention span. For a learner, the book’s emphasis is to lead you beyond your existing understanding of circular economy-slum synergies, guide you to apply foundational concepts to contemporary issues and headlines, and ask questions along the way. For academics, the book is intended as a guide and hopes to Preface provide you with enough theoretical and empirical foundations to navigate the maze of circular economy-slum research. For policymakers and practitioners, the book offers significant developments in recent studies into practice.