Top: Children play on the Platform of Hope, above Gulshan Lake, Dhaka, Bangladesh. [Photo by Khondaker Hasibul Kabir] Bottom: A mural by community youth and artists Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn, working under the nameHaas&Hahn, Vila Cruzeiro favela, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. [Photo by Haas&Hahn]
Cynthia Smith, the curator of the Cooper Hewitt’s Design for the Other 90%: CITIES exhibit wrote an interesting article on the online journal Places. The article summarizing Smith’s observations and findings, as well as showcases some particular projects. Following is a link of to the article, as well as a link to the online database of the CITIES exhibit.
Cynthia Smith on PLACES
Design for the Other 90%: CITIES ONLINE DATABASE
{FAVEL issues} 
Made me think of a recent report I saw about a social entrepeneur who designed cheap interior lighting for homes in the Phillipeans: http://www.dutiee.com/story/english-ntdtv-com/ntdtv_en/news_asia/2011-07-12/light-to-the-poor-one-liter-at-a-time-html