What type of informal settlement is often seen with no legal permission in urban areas?

Squatter settlements are typically characterized by their establishment on land that is unlawfully occupied. These settlements arise when people, often in search of better living conditions and economic opportunities, construct makeshift homes on land that they do not own or have legal permission to use. This illegal occupation often reflects a broader issue of rapid urbanization, where an influx of people into cities outpaces the availability of affordable housing, leading to the emergence of these informal settlements.

Shanty towns and favelas, while similar in nature, are terms that often describe various contextual adaptations of informal settlements, specifically in certain geographical areas. For example, shanty towns are commonly recognized in various regions as groups of informal housing, while favelas specifically refer to informal settlements in Brazil. Cage homes refer to a distinct type of overcrowded accommodation often found in urban centers like Hong Kong, primarily for low-income individuals and do not necessarily encapsulate the broader characteristic of informal settlements across different contexts. Thus, squatter settlements directly represent the concept of unauthorized occupation in urban environments.