Research from José Matos Mar Santo an anthropologist

In the informal settlements even the smallest inefficiencies will trickle in over time and greatly slow down the urbanization progress and add to the health and safety concerns. If these inefficiencies are left unchecked for long enough, they will eventually compromise any goals towards sustainable communities. Research conducted by anthropologist, José Matos Mar Santos, that these "spontaneous settlements" were, in fact, solutions to grave urban problems. The informal settlements have vast amounts of inefficiencies that need to be addresses but they are part of the bigger solution towards a health habitable neighborhood. Further research by anthropologist, Susan Lobo, established that such settlements were civilly organized and rapidly assumed positive urban attributes under the squatters' own initiatives. One the major ways to combating and correcting the inefficiencies with in the informal settlements is through the emphasis on the settlers’ involvement and participation in all the planning and implementing upgrade processes. It is through the localized and sustainable design solutions, coupled with proper safe building techniques and planning eduction that the safety and health issues of the informal settlements can be reduced or eliminated.