The CBD in an LEDC will look very similar to the CBD of an MEDC. Multinational high street names will be common as will multistory buildings that we expect to see in CBDs in MEDCs. Within the CBD you can also expect to find schools, hospitals, offices, hotels and cinemas.

What are shanty towns?

A shanty town (also called a slum or squatter settlement) is a settlement (sometimes illegal or unauthorized) of impoverished people who live in improvised dwellings made from scrap materials: often plywood, corrugated metal, and sheets of plastic. Shanty towns, which are usually built on the periphery of cities, often do not have proper sanitation, electricity, or telephone services. These areas are often susceptible to fire due to the high concentration of homes. Population density within shanty towns is amongst the highest in the world. The infrastructure is usually very poor with inadequate transport communications. As urbanisation has led to urban sprawl in LEDCs some shanty towns are over 30 miles away from CDBs.