Local Cultures – Global Spaces

Abstract

“Slums,” as they are called by the UN, are expected to house three billion people, or 50% of the urban population, by 2050 (UNDESA 2018). The latest IPCC report (Mukherji et al., n.d.) states that “climate and weather extremes are increasingly driving displacement,” impacting urbanization and informalization rates. Instead of “slums,” the term “informal settlement” is widely used to discuss the “incremental, unauthorized, and self-organized production of new urban neighborhoods” (Dovey et al. 2023). Informal settlements are the most ubiquitous form of urban development in the last fifty years (Dovey 2012). They are typically seen as poverty-stricken and a problem in need of solutions (McFarlane 2011, Castillo 2001). The ubiquity of informal settlements makes them a powerful opportunity for regenerative design. How can design empower informal immigrants to improve outcomes at the building, neighborhood, and regional landscape scale, while preserving residents’ self-identity and strengthening community? This thesis investigates patterns of informal migration, identifies regenerative strategies for informal settlements, and designs a prototypical kit-of-parts that is multi-scalar – from regional landscape to building components. The kit-of-parts is applied to a case study site in Bogotá, Colombia that will promote environmental, economic, and social justice and resilience.