Many people have argued that global cities can take lessons from informal communities like Dharavi and the favelas of Brazil. Designers Pavlina Ilieva and Kuo Pao Lian have created a new framework for city development based on these informal cities.
They call their idea Self-Generative Communities, and offer step-by-step instructions on how to learn from informal cities and improve the urban areas we already have.
"We propose living on the grid of a new urban fabric that distributes self-generated resources-food, learning, skills, human talent, and labor-and creates natural connections among inhabitants and nature. This way of living draws from the lessons that the world's poorest inhabitants have to give us without romanticizing the difficult and unfortunate aspects of impoverishment. The SGC is a portrait of humanity not at its poorest, but at its most resourceful, responsible, and aware of its surroundings. The objective of the SGC is to realize homegrown socioeconomic sustainability by investing in the proper handling of the natural environment and technology."
FULL STORY: Learning from Informal Cities, Building for Communities
Mapping Informal Neighborhoods
New mapping tools are helping cities around the world map and understand their poorest communities.
Bad Housing Policies Worsening Slums Around the World
Richard Florida argues that policies in cities around the world are making it harder on those most in need of housing.
Friday Eye Candy: India's Rapid Urbanization
Photographer and architect Lars Mortensen captured the new face of urbanization in Gurgaon, a suburb of New Delhi. The scales involved are unprecedented, and rich and poor live in close proximity.
The Top Urban Planning Books of 2021
Planetizen's annual list of the top urban planning books of the year is here—maintaining a tradition that dates back to 2002.
The Roadway Expansion Paradox
Motorists want expensive roadway expansions provided that somebody else foots the bill, but when required to pay directly through tolls, the need for more capacity often disappears. What should planners do?
Urban Exodus: Data Don't Support the Popular Pandemic Narrative
Americans fled cities in waves during the pandemic, right? Not to so fast.
Compulsory Vaccination in the Birthplace of Democracy
Unlike the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccination strategy that has largely been paused by federal judges, compulsory vaccinations have been approved by Greece's highest court. Mandates are passed by Parliament rather than by executive order.
Flight-Free Movement Grows in Europe
A burgeoning movement known as 'flight shame' calls on travelers to avoid air travel when possible as a method of fighting climate change.
Opinion: Northwest Arkansas Could Be the 'Next Austin'
The home of Walmart and the University of Arkansas could be poised to see growth as cities like Austin and Boise become less affordable.
Town of Palm Beach
Perkins&Will
City of Oxford
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of San Carlos
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Royal Oak, Michigan
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
