Abstract
1 basis
The research aim is, to show generally valid factors of contemporary
urban development - independent on culturally specific influences.
The work intends to make informal urban processes comparable with
each other (first of all through the preparation of comparable data)
and to analyze them regarding their form and included urban processes
up to their consolidation.
Existing work mainly refers to Latin American examples; a few work
is engaged with Middle Eastern examples. Analyses referring to physical
form are rarely existing for South-East Asian locations or they
describe slum areas and slum upgrading. The different forms of informality,
that can be recognized, have not been differentiated and compared
up to now.
2 research topic
Theme "Comparing analysis of chosen informal settlements and
their contribution to the understanding of contemporary urban processes"
Urban processes are determined by a combination of local, national
and global processes. The aim is to conclude on regular processes
within an uncontrolled development of urban fabric concerning their
morphology and townscape. Hypothetically, there can be differentiated
between constant and varying factors. These may be divided into
culturally specific and generally valid, i.e. transmittable factors.
Those factors which are recognized as being culturally specific
and valuable, should be applied to new regulations for controlled
local and regional settlement development. This should help avoiding
any uncritical transmission of regulations used in industrial counties.
Included is the discussion about the role of culturally specific
factors within cities under global influences.
The cognition of transmittable aspects within uncontrolled urban
growth, could be used for the examination and possibly modification
of land use planning and building regulations in Europe. It might
be possible to judge, how far urban development is well functioning
without any restrictive regulations and how far formal restrictions
are necessary. In the extreme case, there could be argued for the
necessity to provide spaces with the option to be built on without
any regulations in regard to land uses and building codes.
The analysis and evaluation of the chosen informal settlements
will result in the creation of a planning tool, the help of which
urban processes can be evaluated and determined with in advance.
Specified potential possibilities for a modified planning shall
be specifically regulated for each region. The handling of these
planning tools should be possible independently from common, world-wide
trends and their often delayed local adaptation.
Hypotheses
Hypothetically, all world-widely rising informal settlements share
generally common features despite of the existence of cultural specifics
and local determinants. The aspects touched, are type of building,
functional diagrams, functional ability and integration into the
urban fabric. After consolidation of informal settlements, these
are comparable to planned urban structures in concern of these aspects.
The main differences within informal urban processes are most likely
concerning the form and use of public space.
The hypotheses will be treated with the help of world-wide settlement
examples, which will be formally put in concrete terms and will
be made comparable.
Questions for evaluation
First, there will be defined "functionality" and in what
way it is determined. It must not be resulting in the application
of Western building standards, i.e. space in-between buildings,
daylight aspects, and other standards defining values based on formal
measures. There has to be described a value system in accordance
to locally specific conditions.
Hereby is to be found out, if informal settlements are the expression
of the contemporary optimized urban structures in adaptation of
the wishes and needs of the majority of urban inhabitants. Or rather,
if they are resulting from an urban process, which is not even controlled
by the people involved. This would speak of a limited space of influence
onto the individual, directly determinable space, which is, again,
reduced by market constraints. An adaptation, through familiarity
with pre-existing conditions, is a further aspect among the growth
of informal urban structures. An analysis of the importance of joint
decisions among the participants and their consequences, is planned
to be done for the case study in Cairo.
After comparison and evaluation, there will be shown opportunities
for alternations. Question is, to which degree and which aspects
should be regulated in order to reach the functioning and a satisfying
quality of life within informal structures. There should be shown,
how far a structural growth is functioning without any implementation
of regulations and restrictions.
The preliminary choice of research examples is Cairo, Damascus,
Bombay, Mexico-City, Rio de Janeiro, Lagos, Addis Ababa and Jakarta.
It covers states with different economic and cultural backgrounds.
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