Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The pace of which urban populations are growing put a lot of
pressure on the urban sector to provide housing and serviced land.
Today around 50 % of the world’s population live in cities, and
according to United Nations Population Divisions latest report from
2014, the world will see continued global population growth.
Large disparities can be found between the developed and
developing countries in the world. Alarming figures show that more
than a billion residents worldwide live in informal settlements, selfconstructed
urban district that lack the same services, quality and
infrastructures as the formal districts.

In cities with informal urbanisation the segregation between formal
and informal settlements often enhances the marginalisation and
stigmatisation of the informal dweller. In informal settlements
the lack of sanitation, infrastructure and services are immense
problems for the dwellers. In addition, informal settlements are
often established in precarious and unsafe landscape conditions;
on residual industrial land, mountain slopes, floodplains and
riversides. In Buenos Aires, Argentina, some of the most common
hazards that informal settlers are exposed to are related to water,
particularly flooding and contaminated water.

This thesis sets out to investigate the spatial-aesthetic relationships
of areas close to large-scale waterscapes of Buenos Aires. The
focus of this study lies in how inequalities are consolidated through
landscape and landscape representations of formal and informal
places. Further this study explores how these spatial-aesthetic
appreciations can be applied in transformation of informal
settlements in Buenos Aires. This study is made with qualitative
research with literature studies, field studies of Buenos Aires with
two months immersion on site and the use of the investigatory
method of the deviant transect. The purpose of this study is to help
to support an urban development striving for equality.

This study proposes spatial-aesthetic appreciation (mapping) and
possible transformation (design) of landscapes for leisure, food
and shelter. The thesis stresses the potential shift from a distinction
between equality and inequality towards an inclusive landscape
of qualities. Thus the focus of this study lies on finding and utilising
site-specific qualities of Buenos Aires.
Finally, in accordance with findings from this study, some future
research on the topic of; site-specific design and informal
settlements, interdisciplinary practice in urban planning; and
landscape representations are suggested.