Social work has from its inception in the 19th century given focused attention to the needs of people living in slum communities (Estes,2009; Karger & Stoez ,2010; Trattner,1999). During that time slum communities were concentrated in urban centers of industrialization in  Europe and the United States. Slum residents were largely immigrants and native born people—African and Asian Americans(Davis&Bent-Goodley,2007) and Jews (Wenocur&Reisch,2001).They came to cities in large waves to avail themselves of the economic opportunities offered by the industrial revolution. Instead, these opportunity seekers found themselves relegated to living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. The plight of slum residents was largely ignored by elite power holders who, although generally aware of the condition of slum dwellers, did little to address their most basic needs because of  worthiness (Hine, Hine & Harold, 2012)as a result of economic exploitation, culture bias, and racial discrimination, social Darwinist perspectives, and blame-the-victim orientations (Davis,2006; Wenocur & Reisch).

By the year 2035, slums may become the primary living environment for the world’s urban dwellers. This entry explores  key definitions, causes, and characteristics of slums in the global arena, along with the types of social-work practice and general community development approaches being used to catalyze action to decrease the prevalence of slums. Core strategies include using pro–poor planning efforts that empower slum dwellers, creating affordable housing, and otherwise transitioning urban slums into vibrant communities. Concluding thoughts and further considerations for practice are offered to close the entry.

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