Modular landscape - Adaptable Infrastructure for Community Engagement in Delivering Open Space Issues Analysis

Site Selection

Interfaces Analysis

Strategy

1. Adaptive: Fully utilize and adapt to different residential street interfaces with modular landscapes.

2. Autonomy: Engage residents into community micro-updating to meet diiferent requirements with low-cost (recycled) materials and low-tech construction.

3. Multifuncitonal: Create spaces for greenery and social activities using differnent combinations of modular landscape components.

4. Minimum interference: Use portable systems to meet the goal of micro intervention and micro update based on current conditions.

Site Reorganizing before Design

Integration of Adaptable Infrastructure System and Street Interfaces

Multifunctional Modular Component Greenhouse modular component multifunction & flexibility of modular components

Basic planting units can be formed into recreational terraces

Perspective

Rainwater collection structure can be transformed into recreational climbing structures

Shelter structures can be transformed into a celebrating space for festivals

Habitat 22

Design for 22% of the residents living in infromal settlments in Bangalore

Project Statement

During the rapid urbanization of Bangalore in the passed decades, the lack of plannning and investment in the development of public infrastructure, housing and transportation system, health and education services also resulted in social issues.

One key issue is the consistently increasing urban informal habtitants, socioeconomic disparities and resulted in marginalization of the disadvantaged groups (inclusively native villages engulfed by urbanization, poor immigrants coming in search for employment [11])

These informal settlments are always established under compromised conditions of hazards of environmental pollutions, no or few sanitation facilities, and insecured food supply.

The objective of this design is to address the key factors of informal settlement - “Informality, Scarcity, Temporality”, and to create a system to enable the informal dwellers to better utilize the limited resource, tackle the challenges and resolve some social and livelihood issue. Leveraging on the ecosystem service of productive landscape to extend the opportunities for the urban poor.

Conditions Of Informal Settlement

Urbanization Of Bangalore

Rapid development of IT industry, biotechnology and educational institutions [6] created enormous opportunities for employments and massive influx of migrants seeking better livelihoods. The urban space has sprawled rapidly from 69 km2 in 1949 to 741 km2 in 2007 [10]. Overwhelming urbanization also resulted in insufficiency of public housing, transportation system, basic infrastructure, and compromised environmental qualities. The is city struggling to keep up with the drastically increasing needs from the demographic and economic booms.

Besides low structural quality and insecure tenure, informal settlements’ lack of basic infrastructure (water and sanitation), location near pollution sources, malnutrition and health risk are all severe issues for the informal dwellers.

Figure: Job oportunities created with the development of IT industry (yellow dots). Areas deficient of health and education services are highlighted in red. Edited from Source [10], [12].

Figure: Slum population distribution in Bangalore city, consistently growing with an average rate of 27.4%. Source [10].

Figure: Sprawling urban area in Bangalore. 1970-2003. Source [15].

References: [6] http://www.ced.org.in/docs/inecc/member_reports/ VA-rep-urban-marginalised.pdf; [10] H.S. Sudhira. Bangalore City Profile; [12] Metropolitan City, PPT; [14] D. Gopal & H. Nagendra. (2014). Vegetation in Bangalore’s Slums: Boosting Livelihoods, Well-Being and Social Capital. Sustainability, ISSN 2071-1050.;[15] B. Lefevre. (2009). Long-term energy consumptions of urban transportation: A prospective simulation of “transport-land uses” policies in Bangalore; [16] O. B. Adegun. Green Infrastructure and Ecosystem

These informal settlements are usually interspersed among the middle class neighborhood for whom the dwellers work to gain income. The biggest slum site in Figure at left is chosen for design.

VEGETATION IN BANGALORE’S SLUMS

Ecosystem Services also have unique and important value for the urban poor. In a research conducted in 44 slums in Bangalore cities, the findings indicate enthusiam among informal settlers for growing various types of vegetation, particulary in the cultural and religious context of India.

HOW ABOUT THE PEOPLE?

The unprecedented urban expansion and population growth had resulted in fundamental changes in the dynamics structuring urban space. The social disparity and marginalization of the foreign and disadvantaged further brings difficulties for the poor to survive.

Informal Settlement In Hebbal

The chosen site of informal settlement in Hebbal represents many typical characters of this type of urban habitat. On one side, it is bordered by the main waterway flowing through Hebbal (which is severely polluted), on the other side, it is also near the main commercial road. There is a big waste collection and recyling area at the chosen site.

Shops and Eateries

Obesrvation In Hebbal Informal Settlements

Residential Buildings