Planning and design for future informal settlements: shaping the self-constructed city

333 Pages·2018·13.926 MB·English

by  Gouverneur, David

Planning and Design for Future Informal Settlements
This is the first book to address future informal settlements at the global scale. It
argues that to foster favorable conditions for the sustainable evolution of future
informal cities, planners must consider the same issues that are paramount in
formal urban developments, such as provision of:
• balanced land uses
• energy efficiency and mobility
• water management and food sufficiency
• governance and community participation
• productivity and competitiveness
• identity and sense of place.
Planning and Design for Future Informal Settlements makes a call for responsible action
to address the urban challenges of the developing world, suggesting that the vitality
of informality, coupled with spatial design and good management, can support the
efficient use of resources in better places to live.
The book analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of informal urbanism and the
challenges faced by the fast-growing cities of the developing world. Through case
studies, it demonstrates the contributions and limitations of different attempts
to plan ahead for urban growth, from the creation of formal housing and urban
infrastructures for self-built dwellings to the improvement of existing informal
settlements. It provides a robust framework for planners and designers, policy
makers, NGOs, and local governments working to improve living conditions in
developing cities.
David Gouverneur was National Director of Urban Planning for the Ministry of
Urban Development of Venezuela and co-founder of the Urban Design Program
and Director of the Mayor’s Institute in City Design at Universidad Metropolitana
in Caracas. He has 33 years’ experience of teaching Architecture, Urban Design,
and City Planning. His professional practice focuses on urban plans for distressed
neighborhoods, upgrading informal settlements, historic districts, new centralities,
and areas affected by disaster. He is currently Associate Professor in Practice of the
Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, teaching
Landscape Urbanism Studios, Cross-disciplinary Design Studios, and Electives,
with an emphasis on developing countries.
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Planning and Design for Future Informal Settlements
Shaping the self-constructed city
David Gouverneur
First published 2015
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
© 2015 David Gouverneur
The right of David Gouverneur to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or repro-
duced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or
other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photo-
copying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gouverneur, David.
Planning and design for future informal settlements : shaping the
self-constructed city / David Gouverneur.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Squatter settlements--Developing countries. 2. City planning--
Developing countries. 3. Urban policy--Developing countries. I. Title.
HD7287.96.D44G68 2014
307.3’36--dc23
2014003308
ISBN: 978-0-415-73789-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-76593-8 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo Std 11/14 pt
by Fakenham Prepress Solutions, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 8NN
Dedicated to Isabel Gouverneur and Dora Palacios
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Contents
List of figures xi
Acknowledgments xvii
Foreword xix
Introduction: Shaping the future of the self-constructed city: a call to action xxiii
1 Attempts to deal with the urbanization challenges of the developing world 1
1.1 Biases against informality 2
1.2 When city planning and urban design work against informality 8
1.3 Housing and urban performance 10
1.4 Urban frameworks for self-constructed dwellings 16
1.5 Limitations of Sites and Services 23
1.6 The informal city reconsidered 24
1.7 Informal Armatures: merging the formal with the informal 29
1.8 Conclusions 33
2 Dealing with informal settlements of the developing world: lessons
from Venezuela and Colombia 41
2.1 The foundations of Venezuela’s political economy and the great
urban migration 42
2.1.1 The emergence of “the other city” 44
vii
Contents
2.1.2 Academia addresses informal growth and the social divide 48
2.1.3 A plan to rehabilitate the barrios of Caracas 49
2.1.4 Rise and fall of the plans for the improvement of informal
settlements 57
2.1.5 The impact of a major quake on informal settlements 60
2.1.6 Political struggles, economic hardship, and social divide 61
2.2 Bogotá: a succession of effective municipal administrations 63
2.2.1 Repositioning Bogotá 70
2.2.2 A succession of mayors committed to making a difference
in the urban context 71
2.2.3 Key contributions of Peñalosa’s urban vision 74
2.3 Medellín: from warzone to a city of hope 84
2.3.1 Two problems/two challenges 87
2.3.2 Programs and projects of the Medellín agenda 89
2.3.3 Envisioning urban growth in Medellín 102
2.3.4 Can the Medellín experience be replicated? 107
2.3.5 Planning and designing for future informal settlements 110
3 The concept of Informal Armatures 119
3.1 What is the Informal Armatures approach? 119
3.2 What are the contributions of the IA approach? 122
3.3 Sustainable informal growth 125
3.4 Knowledgeable, engaged, and honest facilitators 128
3.5 New forms and new programs 132
3.6 Addressing different urban demands from the metropolitan to the
local scale 137
4 Forces at play 143
4.1 Resource efficiency in an era of global scarcity 143
viii
Contents
4.2 Guided adaptation 146
4.2.1 Safe, amicable, and flexible places 148
4.3 Appropriate connectivity and infrastructure systems 151
4.3.1 Mobility for those with limited mobility 155
4.3.2 Counteracting the road construction syndrome 156
4.3.3 Balanced, pedestrian-friendly districts with efficient mobility 157
4.4 Moving ahead 158
5 The IA as a system of components guided by principles of implementation 163
5.1 Corridors 164
5.1.1 Attractors 166
5.1.2 Protectors 169
5.2 Patches 171
5.2.1 Receptor Patches 172
5.2.2 Transformer Patches 178
5.3 Stewards 181
5.3.1 Garden Keepers 184
5.4 Implementation principles 188
5.4.1 Engaging with local landscapes 188
5.4.2 Evolving morphologies and performances 192
5.4.3 Managed gentrification 197
5.5 Moving ahead 200
6 Enacting 203
6.1 Advocating for the IA initiative 203
6.2 Estimating land requirements 209
6.2.1 How to estimate the quantity of land needed to implement
the IA approach 210
6.2.2 Planning and design for social goals 215
ix