Right to the City — UPSC Prelims PYQ 2021

Consider the following statements:

“Right to the City’ is an agreed human right and the UN-Habitat monitors the commitments made by each country in this regard.
‘Right to the City’ gives every occupant of the city the right to reclaim public spaces and public participation in the city.
‘Right to the City’ means that the State cannot deny any public service or facility to the unauthorized colonies in the city.

The Right to the City (RTC) recognises equal access to urban life as a basic human right for all, including migrants, slum dwellers and the homeless. The term Right to the City originates in the writings of French philosopher Henri Lefebvre in his 1968 book Le Droit à la ville. It prioritises collective rights over individual rights to urban space. It gives every inhabitant, not just legal citizens, the right not only to occupy a pre-existing urban space but also to produce spaces according to their needs.
Although “Right to the City” is recognised in some legal frameworks, such as Brazil’s federal “Statute of the City,” it has not achieved the status of a formal, universally recognised human right akin to traditional individual rights like freedom of speech. RTC is not an agreed human right recognised by international human rights instruments. UN-Habitat does not specifically monitor commitments related to this concept.

The “Right to the City” includes the rights to reclaim public spaces and to have active public participation in the urban environment. This concept is rooted in the belief that all inhabitants should have a say in how their cities are developed and managed, ensuring that urban spaces are accessible and equitable for everyone.

RTC gives every occupant, irrespective of their legality, a claim over the city. It requires the State to act on the principles of social justice and provide equal services to each and every resident. Just like the Right to Education makes it the State’s duty to ensure that every child is in school, acknowledging the RTC means that the State can no longer deny shelter or provision of services such as water to those living in unauthorised slums.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN–Habitat) is the United Nations agency for human settlements and sustainable urban development. It was established in 1978 as an outcome of the First UN Conference on Human Settlements and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat I) held in Vancouver, Canada, in 1976.
Mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities, with a focus on adequate shelter for all.
Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya.
Reports to: UN General Assembly; part of the UN system (earlier linked with UN Development Group).
Partnerships: Works with governments, UN bodies, civil society, academia, and private sector.
Key Declarations: Vancouver Declaration (Habitat I), Istanbul Declaration (Habitat II).
Flagship Reports: State of the World’s Cities, World Cities Report.