Cities Within Cities: Innovation Driven Infrastructure

Cities Within Cities:  Innovation Driven Infrastructure 

Student: Zachary Funk
Advisor: Anirban Adhya 

Slums are the physical and spatial manifestations of urban growth. With the increasing migration of individuals to the urban environment around the globe, it begins to challenge planners and designers to find new ways to organize the urban typologies in a way that addresses issues related to ecological, social and economic crises. Today developing countries are leading the way in urban growth. These countries are seen as models for what future growth in urban environments around the globe will be faced with. Urban conditions such as these need to be examined and understood to address the growing pains that come with such rapid growth. With such growth many cities are faced with a number of issues in areas of food supply, sanitation, jobs, and housing. There is a major disconnect between the classes, mainly between those living in informal environments, i.e. fringe settlements, and those in formal settings. The government neglects the settlements and views them as separate entities. Without aid from the city and its officials, the slums are left to find their own solutions to living conditions. This catalyst for innovation is unlike any other. Individuals faced with the challenges of everyday life in the fringe settlements are forced to find new ways to sustain suitable living conditions. This is unlike innovations that are driven by monetary investments or academia. Individuals in such situations innovate to survive, which allows them to be greater innovators. The aim of this thesis project is to look at the sanitary and health conditions created by these communities and how they can be restructured so that it allows for a better way of living. The idea is not eradicate these settlements but enhance them. Give them an opportunity to use their methods of problem solving and apply it to new forms of sanitation.

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