Unlocking the Potentials of Urban Architecture in Enhancing the Quality of Urban Life in Urban Poverty Areas through Community Projects

Ahmed Elewa (1)
(1) Associate Professor of Town planning and Architecture Design, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Helwan University, Egypt, Egypt

Abstract

Currently more than half of world population are living in cities, while world is witnessing a rapid urbanization process particularly in cities of the developing and emerging countries, where urban poverty areas (UPA) with low quality of urban life (QUL) and lack of the usual urban spaces are the most significant urban phenomena that characterized those cities. In such an urban context there is a need for an efficient tool that contributes positively to the enhancement of the QUL, meanwhile to provide the best use of the rare vacant lands.This study argues that urban architecture as a design field offers a distinctive approach to a special type of buildings made for an urban setting, thus it can enhance the QUL in UPA through community projects.The study is based on an analytical study of selected cases of community projects in UPA that represents examples of how urban architecture through its potentials has a positive impact on its urban context, notably through community projects that strongly linked to real community needs. The results showed that urban architecture as a design approach for community projects have multiple roles that boost thedaily life, as well it supports various environmental issues towards better QUL.

Full text article

Generated from XML file

References

Archdaily, (2017). Tapis Rouge public space in an informal neighborhood in Haiti, Emergent Vernacular Architecture (EVA Studio). Retrieved July 25, 2018, from: https://www.archdaily.com/802993/tapis-rouge-emergent-vernacular-architecture

Attoe W, Donn L. (1989). American Urban Architecture: Catalysts in the Design of Cities. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Brillembourg A. & Klumpner H. (2011). Build simply: South of the border. Retrieved August 17, 2018, from: http://www.mascontext.com/issues/10-conflict-summer-11/build-simply-south-of-the-border/

Carmona, M., Heath, T., Oc, T., & Tiesdell, S. (2003). Urban Spaces-Public Places: The Dimensions of Urban Design. Oxford: Architectural Press.

Cowan, R. (2005). The Dictionary of Urbanism. Tisbury, Wiltshire: Streetwise Press, UK. p. 415.

Cracknell K. (2013). The only way is up; 2013. Health Club Management 2013 issue 10. Retrieved August 20, 2018, from:http://www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk/health-club-management-features/The-only-way-is-up/28464

Davis J. (2009). Urban catalysts in theory and practice. Architectural Research Quarterly.13, p. 295-306.

Doxiades KA. (1963). Architecture in Transition. London: Hutchinson.

Elewa A. (2018). Enhancing the quality of urban life in urban poverty areas through a strategy of integral multi approaches, public spaces as arena for change. Proceedings of Science and Technology. DOI:10.21625/resourceedings.v1i1.175.

Ernest, S. (2002). What makes buildings catalytic? How cultural facilities can be designed to spur surrounding development. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research.Vol. 19, No. 1 (Spring, 2002), p. 30-43.

Ezeh A, Mberu B, & Haregu T. (2016). Slum health is not urban health: why we must distinguish between the two. Retrieved July 20, 2018, from https://theconversation.com/slum-health-is-not-urban-health-why-we-must-distinguish-between-the-two-69939

Francin, KI. (2015). Urban catalyst. School of Urban Planning. McGill University.

Hariss B. (2018). What is urban architecture? Retrieved August 5, 2018, from https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-urban-architecture.htm

Hurley AK. (2014). Next Progressives: Going Top Down. Retrieved August 20, 2018, from: https://www.architectmagazine.com/design/next-progressives-going-top-down_o

Komez, E. (2011). Urban Architecture: Urban Architectural Strategies in Three Exemplary. Saarbrücken, Lap Lambert Academic Publishing.

Lucas PK. (2013). Norms and Space. Understanding Public Space Regulation in the Tourist City. Lund University.

Satterthwaite D. (1995). Viewpoint - the underestimation of urban poverty and of its health consequences.Third World Planning Review, Vol. 17 No 4.

Schwartz A. (2012). A Prefab Vertical Gym For Urban Slums. Retrieved August 17, 2018, from: https://www.fastcompany.com/1680630/a-prefab-vertical-gym-for-urban-slums

The Harvard Architecture Review: Urban Architecture. (1981). Cambridge: MIT Press.

United Nations. (2014). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2014 Revision, Highlights, United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division.

United Nations, (2016). The World’s Cities in 2016 – Data Booklet. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (ST/ESA/ SER.A/392).

UN-Habitat, (2016). Slum Almanac 2015 2016, Tracking Improvement in the Lives of Slum Dwellers.

UN-HABITAT. (2018). Best Practices Database: Award Winners. Three Public Spaces to enhance community resilience. Retrieved August 15, 2018, from: http://mirror.unhabitat.org/bp/bp.list.details.aspx?bp_id=5254

Wilkinson T. (2017). Tapis Rouge in Port-au-Prince, Haiti by Emergent Vernacular Architecture. Retrieved August 15, 2018, from:https://www.architectural-review.com/buildings/tapis-rouge-in-port-au-prince-haiti-by-emergent-vernacular-architecture/10017643.article

Authors

Ahmed Elewa
[email protected] (Primary Contact)
Elewa, A. (2019). Unlocking the Potentials of Urban Architecture in Enhancing the Quality of Urban Life in Urban Poverty Areas through Community Projects. Environmental Science & Sustainable Development, 4(2), 121–135. https://doi.org/10.21625/essd.v4i2.561

Article Details