Conclusion

This book began with the account of United Nations Volunteers’ (UNV) efforts to promote CSR in urban settings. The idea was to work with an international organisation representing low-income communities — the SDI (Slum/Shacks Dwellers International) — and associate it with private construction companies to upgrade low-income settlements. As explained in the Introduction, it did not succeed. However, as also noted in that chapter, there is room for optimism. UNV eventually succeeded in linking some companies and urban low-income communities on an individual basis. Following, this book has noted that urban CSR has picked up momentum in the past few years, and the case-study chapters offer detailed evidence. This is not to say that the process is devoid of challenges, as also noted throughout the book. The final chapter will first explore the advantages and challenges of CSR from the perspective of its different elements and practices, followed by final conclusions leading to general recommendations on how to further strengthen CSR in urban areas.