Only recently have world leaders paid attention to the crisis of slums. In 2000, one of the Millennium Development Goals called for "improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers". But the goal is far too modest. Already, since 2000, the population of slum dwellers has increased by the same figure. And it is estimated that 180,000 people are added to the urban population everyday. If we continue with business as usual, by 2020 there could be as many as two billion slum dwellers. By using ten cities from around the world as case studies, this book shows the stark and unacceptable contrasts in cities and towns of the developing world, exposes the humanitarian impact of urbanisation and provides greater awareness that we are living out tomorrow's crisis today.