HERNANDEZ, DEAN ARA
SPECN02
3RD TERM/ AY 2023-2024
ARC204
Guide Questions for Students
1. What is the main focus of the lecture?
The lecturer, Christian Werthmann, emphasizes the growing prevalence of unplanned settlements and the imperative for designers to respond to
this emerging trend. He outlines ten strategies for designers to uplift these areas.
Werthmann underscores the enduring presence of informal settlements, forecasting that by 2050, half of the world's urban population will dwell in
such unstructured locales. He advocates for the enhancement rather than elimination of these settlements.
Werthmann provides ten guidelines for designers to improve informal settlements, which include:
Terminology: Adopt more neutral terms like "informal settlement" or "neighborhood" instead of derogatory labels such as "slum."
Comprehension: View these settlements through the lens of residents, considering their aspirations, requirements, and motivations for living
there.
Collaboration: Involve residents in the design process, integrating their insights and expertise.
Design Process: Emphasize inclusive and empowering design methodologies.
Essentials: Address essential needs such as food and water in the design approach.
Income Generation: Assist residents in enhancing their economic prospects.
Multifunctionality: Create structures with diverse functionalities to optimize space utilization.
Multiscale Approach: Account for settlements across various dimensions, from individual dwellings to citywide regions.
Beauty: Develop visually appealing environments to bolster residents' self-worth.
Collaboration: Work alongside different disciplines and settlement occupants to devise holistic solutions.
2. How is population and urbanization related to developing communities? Give 3 examples.
In a video lecture delivered by Christian Werthmann, the discussion focused on three key instances highlighting the relationship between population
growth and urbanization in developing regions:
1. Escalation in slum populations: The lecture underscored that the current population residing in slums stands at one billion, with projections
indicating a threefold increase by 2050, reaching three billion individuals. This projection suggests that almost half of the global urbanization
process will be informal in nature.
2. Proliferation of spontaneous cities: The video highlighted a growing trend of unplanned cities emerging due to individuals facing challenges in
affording adequate housing. For instance, Mexico City was cited as a prime example, accommodating up to one million residents within a vast
informal settlement.
3. Concentration in specific regions: The lecture emphasized that informal settlements tend to be clustered in regions experiencing significant
population expansion, such as Africa, India, China, and Brazil. A visual representation from Harvard University, featured in the video,
illustrated this geographical clustering phenomenon.
3. How can the 10 points discussed by Werthmann be related to issues of communities? Give one example each.
The video "Christian Werthmann - Metropolis Non-Formal" by UN-HABITAT WORLDWIDE outlines ten key points discussed by Werthmann,
which can be effectively applied to community challenges as follows:
1. Terminology: Werthmann proposes referring to informal settlements as neighborhoods rather than slums to alter perceptions and diminish
stigma.
2. Comprehension: Grasping the aspirations and requirements of informal settlement residents is paramount, acknowledging their endeavors to
enhance their quality of life.
3. Collaboration: Engaging residents in the design process ensures that solutions are customized to their requirements and cultural context.
4. Transdisciplinarity: Involving a range of specialists alongside the community, including architects and engineers, is critical in addressing
challenges within informal settlements.
5. Designing the Process: Community involvement in planning and decision-making is just as crucial as the final outcome.
6. Basics: Design solutions for informal settlements must address essential needs such as access to food and water.
7. Income Generation: Projects in informal settlements should focus on creating income-generating opportunities to improve livelihoods and
reduce poverty.
8. Multifunctionality: Infrastructure should serve multiple purposes, as demonstrated by a drainage basin in a Brazilian favela that also provides
open space.
9. Multiscalar: Design solutions should consider all scales, from individual homes to the city region, recognizing the interconnection between
informal settlements and the larger urban context.
10. Beauty: Considering aesthetics is important for fostering self-esteem, urging designers to integrate this aspect within the specific cultural context
of the community they are assisting.
References
Christian Werthmann - Metropolis Non-Formal, 10 things designers need to work (2014) https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=hJiLiMlFotw
