Flavie Halais looks at both successful and unsuccessful cases of alleviating slum conditions on three continents. For the best results, practitioners must be more adept at problem solving and creativity than pure design.
As part of Architectural Record's "Sheltering the World" March 2013 issue, which looks at international, innovative housing schemes, Flavie Halais argues that incremental housing solutions are the most sensitive way to deal with increasing urban slum populations.
Citing successful examples in India and Brazil, Halais praises Charles Correa's 1983 informal Artist Village in Belapur and Rio's 1994 Favela Bairro program, which began introducing small-scale infrastructural improvements before focusing on improving and centralizing dwellings.
Halais criticizes UN Habitat for its clarion emphasis on slum-free cities and the effect this mantra has had in South Africa and in today's Rio, which is evicting favela dwellers in preparation for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Providing examples of current successful approaches to slum development in India and Latin America, Halais concludes with the following principle:
"In informal settlements the role of architect, planner, anthropologist can intersect in complex but often advantageous ways, and traditional roles and responsibilities must be put aside. Here individual clients are virtually non-existent; practitioners serve communities, and beyond that, a cause."
FULL STORY: Beyond Architecture
The Race to Map Brazil's Favelas
In an effort to tap into new users, companies like Google and Microsoft are racing to map the winding, informal streets of Brazil's slums in Rio de Janeiro.
Technology Gives Form and Face to a Forgotten Place
In an excerpt from his new book, Anthony Townsend explains how a volunteer effort is combining consumer technologies with open source GIS to chart one of Africa’s largest and most notorious slums.
Lack of Plumbing Aside, We Could Learn a Thing or Two from India's Slums
Asserting a controversial opinion, Michael McQuarrie takes a fresh look at the state of community development by comparing it to the slums in Mumbai. These vibrant and economically active slums make him wonder: have we created a dependent poor?
Seattle Legalizes Co-Living
A new state law requires all Washington cities to allow co-living facilities in areas zoned for multifamily housing.
NYC Officials Announce Broadway Pedestrianization Project
Two blocks of the marquee street will become mostly car-free public spaces.
Denver's New High-Rise Integrates Vertical Canyon in Architectural Design
Unlike other new builds in Denver, Colorado, a new high-rise reveals a unique “sculptural canyon” running vertically through the facade to foster a sense of community and connection to nature.
Federal Resilience Program a Lifeline for Affordable Housing Providers
The little-known Green and Resilient Retrofit Program funds upgrades and repairs that improve efficiency and comfort in existing housing stock.
Fort Worth To Relaunch Bike Share System in January
Trinity Metro shuttered its current system at the end of November and plans to relaunch with a mostly-electric system.
A Brief History of Kansas City’s Microtransit
The city’s costly experiment with on-demand transit is yielding to more strategic investment.
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.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Village of Glen Ellyn
American Planning Association, Sustainable Communities Division
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport
Rockdale County Board of Commissioners