Inequality in cities – from above

A wealthy community sits on a steep hill above the Umgeni River in Durban, a city on the east coast of South Africa. From their high-rise apartments, they can see the Moses Madiba soccer stadium, the Durban Country Club, and hundreds of shacks perched along the hillside.

The Imizamo Yethu suburb is nestled between two affluent housing estates in the Hout Bay Valley, nearly 10 miles south of Cape Town. Largely comprised of small shacks, the densely-packed suburb has nearly the same population as the rest of the valley.

The Mooifontein cemetery divides the Vusimuzi informal settlement from the more affluent Tembisa housing development. Life expectancy in South Africa hovers around 60 years old, although that number is often lower in informal settlements.

On the northern shore of Zanzibar, luxury hotels consume a disproportionate amount of the island’s resources.

A slum lines the Mithi River near the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai. The city is home to both a 27-story, $1 billion palace and the largest slum in Asia.

The La Malinche neighbourhood borders a more affluent community in Mexico City.

A canal divides Detroit’s Jefferson Chalmers neighbourhood from its neighbor, Grosse Pointe Park.