After successful completion of the course, students are able to understand informal urban development processes and to react to them with strategic approaches. They acquire the competence to analyze and evaluate the effects of concepts for improving living conditions in informal settlement structures ("upgrading").

The relation between the formal and informal city presents the focus of this class. The focus is on strategies to improve the urban living conditions in disadvantaged residential quarters in emerging cities.
A general topic in 2022:

Sustainable and social inclusive strategies to upgrade the In_Formal City. Practical examples from Latin America.

Keywords

Micro-urbanism approach, affordable housing, incremental housing, neighborhood upgrading, urban eco-systems, urban ropeways, transmilenio, Favela Bairro

Topic

The informal city often stands as a synonym for a place with high population density. Social exclusion
and segregation along with economic marginalization are all too often existing conditions that frame the
real urban life of such an informal city. The term ‚informality’, however, is by no means synonymous to chaos or delinquency, or simply something ‚illegal’. Without dispute, the future of the city depends on the extent to which we are able to synchronize the existing potentials of both the informal and formal city; it will certainly depend on how fast we learn to plan the unplanned!
By now, there exist various urban regions worldwide, particularly in Latin America, which in their development trajectory have positively influenced the interface between the informal and the formal city. What all these strategies have in common is that especially existing, grown structures – be they formal or informal – have been integrated into further urban development efforts. These upgrading projects intend to uplift dis- advantaged informal urban districts and their deficits as opposed to the formal city.
The cities and examples discussed in class mainly attempt to find answers to all those areas where the city authorities still have an ultimate decision-making authority: the public space, the mobility sector, and education!
Within that context neighborhood upgrading, affordable urban housing and mobility infrastructures are key challenges for the contemporary Latin American City. Thereby the role of architects and planners is of central importance to provide urban housing facilities and a livable neighborhood environment. It is their responsibility to go beyond the need for creative design and planning in order to create a favorable climate for dialogue and consult other disciplines from social and administrative areas. Mobility infrastructures and tactical interventions within the urban transformation of the Latin American City
and their relevance for social inclusion is the main topic of this class.

Timetable  Summer Term 2022

Lectures

• Mon March 14^th 14.00-17.00 Kick-off, Introduction.

                                                The Latin American City: The challenge of informal urban development.

Teamwork / Conversation

• Thur March 17^th 10.00-13.00 Microurbanism and integral neighborhood upgrading strategies:

                        The Favela Bairro experience from Rio de Janeiro.

Teamwork / Conversation

• Mon March 21^st 14.00-17.00 The Urbanization of the Air. Affordable mobility and integral upgrading strategies: The Medellín case.

Teamwork / Conversation

• Thu March 24^th 10.00-13.00  Urban Technologies for Sustainable Integrated Upgrading Strategies: 

Public transport / Waste / Water

Lessons from Curitiba, La Paz, Managua and Medellín

Introduction to the practical part:

“Urban Ropeways: research-saving tool for social inclusion?”

• mon March 28^th 14.00-17.00 Affordable housing: in Latin America: Genesis, Site-and-Service and 

incremental housing: Villa El Salvador, Lima; Metrovivienda and Cd. Bolivar, Bogotá; Elemental and others.

Teamwork / Conversation

• tue (!)March29^th 15.00-18.00 Mobility as a key issue in urban development: Curitiba and Bogotá; the  recent development of Urban Ropeway Systems in Latin American Cites

Single lecture of “International Urbanisation” 280.968

 (recommended)

                                               Practical part: Research work

“Urban Ropeways: a resource-saving tool for future-orientated urban mobility?”

• Thu March 31^st   10.00-12.00 Concepts / Research topics

                                               Questionnaire to the Research work

• April - May (timing tbd)         Supporting process of the practical part (individual meetings, tbd)

• End of May (timing tbd)         Final presentation of the practical part 

• Each of the lectures consists of:

… a presentation of one or several study cases (“learning from” … around 1 ½  hrs) 

… a discussion or group work (“critical review” … around 1 to 1 ½ hrs) 

… and the following reading of recommended texts (“further analysis” … between the lectures)

• The practical part will be developed as teamwork from April / to the end of May 2022

with 2 -3 optional meetings; the detailed schedule and the locations are yet to be defined.

• The practical part will be developed a as teamwork from April / to the end of May 2022

with 2 -3 optional meetings; the detailed schedule and the locations are yet to be defined.