Towards complex urban integration : Upgrading an existing street in plastic view informal settlement

Abstract

Urbanisation is recognised as a natural by-product of economic development. However, the rate of urbanisation in many developing countries is not directly proportional with the growth of employment opportunities. This results in unemployment which has led to a term coined ‘over-urbanisation’. This global phenomenon has subsequently shifted the paradigm of urbanity. Informal settlements have developed in order to address the urgency of living, creating ingenious and instantaneous solutions to immediate and severe issues. These spaces of urban informality are continuously emerging throughout cities globally, however, they are often characterised by overcrowding, informal housing, insecure tenure and a lack of access to basic amenities.

There have been numerous approaches developed regarding the upgrading of informal settlements globally. However, these approaches generally fail in addressing the needs of the disadvantaged. This dissertation, through utilising Plastic View informal settlement as a case study, aimed to advance the current discourse. An existing street within the settlement was documented in plan and elevation and a process of immersion undertaken with the residents to better understand how space is currently formed on site.

This generated a framework to guide further architectural investigation. With particular dependance on streets as social, cultural, economic and infrastructural spaces in informal settlements, the design explored the streetscape as an instrument for future upgrade of the dwellings. This was illustrated through a phased approach whereby a vision of anticipation was generated for the street.

Through providing the inhabitants with the streetscape as a foundation, as well as facilitating the upgrade of their individual dwellings, appropriation, identity and permanence could begin to manifest, in turn, leading to complex urban integration.