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?
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.
Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.
San Francisco’s Muni Ridership Grew in 2024
The system saw its highest ridership since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but faces a severe budget shortage in the coming year.
Colorado Lawmakers Move to Protect BRT Funding
In the face of potential federal funding cuts, CDOT leaders reasserted their commitment to planned bus rapid transit projects.
Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy
The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.
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