Bryan Finoki tackles the spatial and socio-economic problems of shantytowns, focusing on recent tragedies in the Philippines. (Includes photos.)
In July of 2000 a typhoon hit Quezon City in the Philippines, triggering the avalanche of a mammoth 'garbage mountain' that buried over 2000 people.
"The disaster site is allegedly 'closed' now, but the heaping landscape of the greater dump itself is still home to roughly 30,000 inhabitants who burrow in and around what is perhaps the biggest piece of garbage architecture in the world. This hyperexcavated mound (climbing seven stories high in some places) provides income for close to 150,000 Philippinos who scavenge Manila's 7,500 tons of household waste collected and dumped there each day.
...Gawad Kalinga is quickly becoming an international NGO that originally began as a local movement in the Philippines, aimed at eradicating poverty by building villages and communities with squatters all over the country ...the organization has been so successful that the United Nations is studying the model to integrate into their poverty elimination programs. Meanwhile, Moleto is exporting it to other dire regions by assisting community groups in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, India, Cambodia and South Africa."
Thanks to Archinect
FULL STORY: Post-Slum Payatas

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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