Changing Urban Environments - [CASE STUDY] Solutions to improve problems caused by rapid urbanisation

Question 1

Describe an Aided Self Help Scheme.

Answer 1

• Rochina, Rio de Janeiro.
• Transformed favela into a small city.
• Buildings upgraded to brick and tile.
• Many lived here since favela developed in 1950’s.
• Set up own shops and small industries - the ‘informal sector’.
• Authorities accepted existence of favelas and added electricity, paved and lit some streets and added water pipes.
• Favela Bairro Project.
• Inter-American Development Bank funded the $180 million “slum to neighbourhood” project in 1995.
• Involved 253,000 residents in 73 communities.

Question 2

Describe a Self Help Scheme.

Answer 2

• Dharavi slums in Mumbai, India.
• Home to over a million people.
• Today’s Dharavi bears to resemblance to the fishing village it once was.
• Narrow dirty lanes, open sewers and cramped huts.
• Mumbai has some of the highest house rents in the world, but in Dharavi, they are as low as $4 per month.
• Dharavi is located near Mumbai’s two main suburban rail lines, so most people find it convinient for work.
• Even in the smallest of rooms, there is usually a cooking gas stove and continuous electricity. Many residents also have cable TV.
• Dharavi has a large number of thriving small-scale industries.
• Annual turnover of business estimated to be over $650 million a year.
• Government plans to redevelop Dharavi and transform it into a modern township, it is estimated this project will cost $2.1 billion.

Question 3

Describe a Site and Service Scheme.

Answer 3

• Cairo, Egypt.

Problems

• 16 million people and very densely populated.
• Shortage of funds.
• Very narrow streets.
• Traffic congestion at peak times.
• Limited refuse collection.
• Inadequate housing stock - people living on tops of flats.
• Crumbling sewers dating from 1910.
• Air pollution.
• Urban sprawl with houses spreading into the desert near the pyramids.

Solutions

• 40 new Satellite towns (Smaller metropolitan areas near larger metropolitan areas) to house 15 million people.
• Massive new ring road to reduce congestion.
• Zabaleen collect rubbish from wealthy areas and squatter settlements.
• New towns have schools, hospitals, modern facilities, shops, open spaces and moseques.

Question 4

What is the difference between self-help and site and service?

Answer 4

• Site and service includes the land and services, you build the house.
• Self-help gives people the tools and training to improve their homes. People may be given legal ownership of the land.