A/66/265 laws have had the effect of forcing persons living in poverty to move away from inner-city urban areas, affecting their enjoyment of not only their right to adequate housing, but a wide range of rights. 45. As a means of making cities more “secure” and attractive to investors, developers and more affluent segments of societies, States are increasingly using zoning laws to preference land use which excludes the poorest and most vulnerable, such as gated communities, luxury or high-cost housing, and large sports infrastructure. Authorities are carrying out demolitions of entire neighbourhoods and removing residents for the purpose of “rehabilitating”, “renewing” and “preserving” the “historical and cultural heritage” of the city,32 or to make room for development and infrastructure projects.33 As a result, these areas become too costly for persons living in poverty to return to, and they are relegated to housing in cheaper, less accessible, badly serviced and geographically remote neighbourhoods. In many cases, persons living in poverty are forcibly evicted without notice, are subject to violence and have their belongings damaged or destroyed. Persons living in poverty are rarely able to access redress and remedies after having been evicted, and are deprived of compensation, restitution and resettlement. 46. These policies not only severely impact the inclusiveness and diversity of cities, and increase the segregation and social exclusion of those living in poverty, but also represent serious obstacles to the enjoyment of rights to adequate housing, to work, to an adequate standard of living and to take part in cultural life.34 47. When they are moved away from urban centres, persons living in poverty become geographically remote from jobs, markets, education and health centres. This is turn restricts their access to city centres, public services and economic resources, and increases their opportunity and transportation costs, creating further barriers to gaining employment. Being distant from city centres also implies exclusion from the facilities and cultural life of urban areas, which further contributes to the feeling of isolation and exclusion that persons living in poverty experience. 48. The segregation of the poor from public spaces is further exacerbated by largescale State and privatized infrastructure projects, particularly those connected with mega-events such as the Olympic Games or football World Cups. During such events, authorities often remove persons living in poverty from urban areas and relocate them in outlying suburbs, often by force, without ensuring alternative housing or access to remedies and compensation, in flagrant violation of their right to adequate housing. For example, in Seoul, preparations for the 2002 football World Cup included the banning of homeless persons from specified places in the city, and during the Olympic Games in 1988 homeless persons were detained in facilities outside the city. Action was also taken to remove or criminalize homeless persons during the Barcelona and Atlanta Olympic Games.35 The practical effect of such initiatives is to completely displace the poorest and most marginalized and to __________________ 32 33 34 35 14 Ayfer Bartu Candan and Biray Kolluoglu, “Emerging spaces of neoliberalism: a gated town and a public housing project in Istanbul”, New Perspectives on Turkey, vol. 29 (2008), p. 16. See A/HRC/4/18, paras. 21-24. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, art. 27; International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, arts. 6, 11 and 15; Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural rights, general comments Nos. 7, 18 and 21. For these and other examples see A/HRC/13/20, paras. 18 and 25-27. 11-44449