The relation between the formal and informal city presents the focus of this class. The focus is on strategies
to improve the urban living conditions in disadvantaged residential quarters in emerging cities.
General topic in 2020:
Social inclusive strategies to upgrade the In_Formal City.
Practical examples from Latin America.
Keywords
Arrival City, informal urban development, social inclusion, urban ropeways, micro-urbanism approach, affordable housing, incremental housing, neighbourhood upgrading, urban eco-systems.
The informal city often stands as a synonym for a place with high population density. Social exclusion and segregation along with economic marginalization are all too often existing conditions that frame the real urban life of such an informal city. The term ‚informality’, however, is by no means synonymous to chaos or delinquency, or simply something ‚illegal’. Without dispute, the future of the city depends on the extent to which we are able to synchronize the existing potentials of both the informal and formal city; it will certainly depend on how fast we learn to plan the unplanned!
By now, there exist various urban regions worldwide, particularly in Latin America, which in their develop-ment trajectory have positively influenced the interface between the informal and the formal city. What all these strategies have in common is that especially existing, grown structures – be they formal or informal – have been integrated in further urban development efforts. These upgrading-projects intend to uplift dis-advantaged informal urban districts and their deficits as opposed to the formal city.
The cities and examples discussed in class mainly attempt to find answers to all those areas where the city authorities still have an ultimate decision taking authority: the public space, the transport sector and education!
Within that context neigborhood upgrading, affordable urban housing and mobility infrastructures are key challenges for the contemporary Latin American City. Thereby the role of architects and planners is of central importance to provide urban housing facilities and a livable neigbourhood environment. It is their responsibility to go beyond the need for creative design and planning in order to create a favourable climate for dialogue and consult other disciplines from social and administrative areas. Mobility infrastructures and tactical interventions within the urban transformation of the Latin American City and their relevance for social inclusion are the main topics of this class.
Timtable
Lectures Summer Term 2020
• Thu March 12th 09.30-12.30 Kick-off, Introduction.
Proj.R. 5 The Latin American City and the role of the urban activist:
challenges of informal urban development.
Group work
• Thu March 19th 09.30-12.30 Microurbanism and integral neigborhood upgrading strategies:
Proj.R. 5 The Favela Bairro experience from Rio de Janeiro.
Group work
• Thu March 26st 09.30-12.30 „The Urbanization of the Air“: Integral Upgrading Strategies:
Proj.R. 5 North-East Zone / Santo Domingo, Medellín.
Group work
• Thu April 23nd 09.30-12.30 Tactical Urbanism approach: Infrastructure and urban technology
Proj.R. 5 Curitiba and Medellín; La Chureca, Managua.
Group work
• Fri April 30th 09.30-12.30 Affordable housing: Site-and-Service and incremental housing:
Proj.R 5 Villa El Salvador, Lima; Metrovivienda, Bogotá; Cd. Bolivar, Bogotá; Elemental and others.
Group work / Questionnaire to the short_term urban design project.
Practical part: Research Project
“Urban Ropeways as a tool for social inclusion”
• May - mid June (timing tbd) Individual meetings for the practical part
• Mid of June (timing tbd) Final presentation of the practical part:
Research project “Urban Ropeways as a tool for social inclusion”
Orientation
Proj.R. 5 Main Building / stair 6-7 / 4th floor
Each of the 5 lectures consists of:
• a presentation of one or several study cases (“learning from” … around 1 ½ hrs)
• a discussion or group work (“critical review” … around 1 hr)
• and a following reading of recommended texts (“further analysis” … between the lectures)
The practical “Research Project” will be developed as a teamwork from April / to the end of May 2020
with 2 -3 optional meetings; the detailed schedule and the locations are yet to be defined.
Participants
• 20-25 students from Architecture and Planning (inscription by TISS: www.tuwien.ac.at)
• Other disciplines are welcome !
Organization
• The class is English spoken and can be taken as part of the Module “International Urban- and Regional
Development” (organized by Prof. Rudolf Giffinger: www.srf.tuwien.ac.at ) or on its own.
• The class will be organized as a block seminar in March 2020 with56 lectures and finalized in May 2020
with a research-project (practical part). The attendance of the lectures and the finalization and
presentation of the practical part is required.
