During the twentieth century the world population increased at a higher rate than at any other period in time, from around 1.5 billion people in 1900 to nearly 7 billion today. Facing these figures, it is impossible not to think about what we have done to accommodate this population, or rather, what all these people have done to obtain housing. Figures indicate that although we have been able to build large quantities of houses, and have begun to cover the quantitative deficit, today the great challenge is to improve the quality of the existing housing stock. At a time in which this effervescent population growth persists–particularly in the geographical regions of the Global South and in emerging economies–the question is how do we change the paradigm and start thinking about housing in relation to the quality of the urban fabric to build better cities.
