Rethinking habitability in informal housing: strategies for an integrated system to improve the spatial quality of self-built housing in informal settlements in Mexico City
In Mexico City, the increase of informal settlements has been an important phenomenon, particularly in the urban periphery. This growth has raised concerns about the potential challenges associated with such settlements. The expansion of urban sprawl into natural protected areas has resulted in the...
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| Tipo de recurso: | tesis de maestría |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2024 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repositorio: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/424679 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/424679 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | City planning -- Mexico -- Mexico City Self-help housing -- Mexico -- Mexico City Suburbs -- Mexico -- Mexico City Mexico City Habitability Informal settlements Informal housing Self-built housing Progressive system Spatial quality Pasive architecture Urbanisme -- Mèxic -- Ciutat de Mèxic Autoconstrucció -- Mèxic -- Ciutat de Mèxic Barris perifèrics -- Mèxic -- Ciutat de Mèxic Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Arquitectura::Tipologies d'edificis::Habitatges Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Urbanisme::Aspectes socials |
| Sumario: | In Mexico City, the increase of informal settlements has been an important phenomenon, particularly in the urban periphery. This growth has raised concerns about the potential challenges associated with such settlements. The expansion of urban sprawl into natural protected areas has resulted in the creation of new neighborhoods that lack planning and regulation. This process of informal urbanization has resulted in unsafe, high-density communities with no control over public space and self-built housing, often with little or no habitability due to a lack of technical knowledge on the part of the residents. The homes, which are typically self-built, do not follow proper design and construction patterns, resulting in spaces that are not conducive to living. This not only affects the quality of life of residents, but also contributes to the formation of unsafe and disorganized urban environments. Different public support programs have been implemented with the aim of improving the living conditions in these communities. Self-construction manuals have proven to be a valuable resource for imparting fundamental construction knowledge to the inhabitants. Nevertheless, these manuals tend to prioritize engineering and construction aspects, while neglecting crucial elements such as habitability and the spatial quality. This thesis analyzes the habitability of informal settlements in Mexico City and the concepts to improve it, with the aim of proposing diverse strategies to establish a comprehensive system for improving the quality of life in these areas. In response to the identified shortcomings, it introduces basic guidelines designed to complement existing self-building manuals. These guidelines incorporate key principles for a progressive housing system based on habitability, adaptability and passive architecture, empowering residents to improve their homes independently, without the need for an architect. |
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