the importance of urban social interaction for creating better cities

Fig. 02 OjedadelRio, P. 2017 'Urban Social Dancing & Happiness' [photograph] Valparaíso´s own private collection. Spontaneous Social gathering in an open space in Valparaiso. The dancing Group 'Swim Valpo' and a music band meet at that point to appeal Social interaction. Location: Lautaro Rosas Street in ´Cerro Alegre´ - Valparaíso.

1.1 Latin America Urban Growth and Self-organised urban settlementsSince the Industrial Revolution, rural to urban migration and population growth, mainly in Europe, has become a challenging scenario for urban organisation having grown in that period 57%. However, the largest migration to urban areas in Latin America occurred from the fifties at the 20th C. In 1950, 40 percent of the region's population was urban, but by 1990 it was up to 70 percent. Nowadays 50% of the world population is living in urban centres and it is estimated that by 2050 that percentage will reach 75% [UN 2012] increasing cities density. Urban centres were not prepared for the sudden high housing demand consequently, the self-organised urban settlements we see today have their origins in that historical scenario. In Latin America and the Caribbean region [LAC], 23.5 %—or 113 million people—were living in slums in 2012. Based on the rate of slum growth, the United Nations estimates that over 160 million households in the LAC region will be living in slums in 2020. [UN-Habitat, 2012b]. Furthermore, it is estimated that by 2050, 90% of the population will be in towns and cities, increasing housing demand to the highest level ever seen.

1.2 Self-Organisation as a community answer

Shortage of formal housing offer for lower income groups has forced them to occupy vacant plots of land to self-build a temporary housing solution progressively enlarged and improved over time. Although there is a considerable diversity in terms of population density between these types of settlements in the region, most share key characteristics. First, the urbanization process has been the result of a high degree of social organization without the intervention

of external regulations and stakeholders. The second aspect to highlight is that the land occupation and the self-build sheltering occur simultaneously. Third, most of them are located on the city outskirts [Klaufus 2017], being considerably more complex when geographical conditions such as steep hills add an extra challenge to the planning and provision of housing .

1.3 Breaking Point in the Densification Process

Despite the absence of support from professionals and authorities, informal settlements are an example of how communities’ self-organisation has been an intuitive path to answer fundamental demands such as the one of housing. However, at certain point of settlements growth management of open space requires external involvement and investment, that could be understood as an opportunity to explore solutions resulting from the interchange between communities' practical knowledge of their urban logic and professional and technical aspects from formal organisations. As J. Minnery has pointed out, pivotal to improving the social, economic and environmental needs of those living in informal settlements are the policies and strategies of city governments. [Minnery et. al, 2013]. Particularly from a collaborative philosophy that approaches the urban environments improvement from the recognition of cultural values tangibly manifested in their urban organisation.

16 Introduction

1.4 Ignored public space

One of the most important concerns of dwellers during the process of self-built ´the own house´, is the delimitation of the boundaries of the appropriated land as it will directly affect future possibilities of expanding the dwelling unit. Such concern makes each family seeks individually for the basic need of placing a house for live in. Paradoxically, although the urban space belongs to everybody, most of the time everybody is actually, nobody. Therefore, the tension of the two scales of development increases through the proliferation process of settlements. It has been noted that an implicit arrangement of how units grow amongst neighbours does exist though appears not to be the main conflict catalyst within clusters. The problem starts when public space, considered spare space, is restricted and diminished by individual needs of dwelling expansions. Over time higher densities and overcrowded public areas show how a lack of Social Active Spaces negatively affects communities’ quality of life.

1.5 The valuable role of Social Active Space

Social inequality is manifested in cities, amongst other aspects, through urban segregation and a lack of Social Active Spaces for citizens to interact in. Within cities, green areas are not always equitably distributed. Access is often highly stratified based on income, ethno-racial characteristics, age, gender, [dis] ability, and other axes of difference. [Byrne, Wolch & Zhang; McConachie & Shakleton, 2010]. Access to green areas is therefore increasingly recognised as an environmental justice issue. [Wolch J., Byrne J., Newell J. 2014]. Consequently, the promotion of social encounter through urban open spaces

should be understood as a fundamental concern in Latin American cities, with 21% of its total population living in informal settlements where population density and land availability are critical factors that strongly impact the urban land distribution. Based on this data and the importance of the general access to open spaces this thesis aims at proposing a new urban model for informal urban settlements based on the concept of Social Active Space as leading spatial configurations of the urban order.

1.6 Networks and Social Active Spaces, together create a systemThe success of open spaces depends among other factors on the built environment that shapes them and as well as build the connections of those spaces to other areas of the city. Human interactions are its principle and foundation. Therefore, if open spaces are part of an active network they may strengthen their existence as part of a an urban system and not as isolated urban elements. In recent decades, there has been interest in creating interconnected open space systems for recreation or nature conservation. In the late 1980s´, ´greenways´ became a widely used term to designate citywide or rural-scale open space system [Little, 1990]. Greenways attempt to link together existing open spaces into a public accessible network joined by trails, paths and greenbelts. [Carr 1992]. In light of this, it can be argued that setting the basis for the emergence of a system of Socially Active Spaces into informal settlements could help to improve their urban quality and the lifestyle that they produce.

Introduction

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