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Vera is an urban planner working as a technical advisor for CRS. In (post-) disaster and –conflict settings she seeks to assist affected communities with community based local solutions that offer safe, adequate and durable shelter within an integrated settlement approach. She has worked in several emergency and long-term urban and rural reconstruction projects in Haiti, Pakistan, Philippines, Central African Republic, Bosnia Herzegovina and Gaza.
Giorgio Talocci is a Teaching Fellow in the MSc Building and Urban Design in Development at The Bartlett Development Planning Unit (University College London), where he teaches the modules ‘Critical Urbanism Studio II’ and ‘Urban Design for Development’ and coordinates the DPU summerLab workshop series. In the last years, Giorgio and the MSc BUDD team and students have been working along with urban poor communities, grassroots organisations, networks of professional and academics. Treading on the multiple thresholds between Global North and South, formality and informality, doing and not doing, design as activism and design as research, they endeavour toward a collective, shared and people-driven production of space and knowledge in nowadays’ contested urbanisms.
“Studying at TU Delft I have developed a special interest for social and environmental sustainability as well as creating healthier and balanced communities. Being extremely concerned about our global future I am exploring how I could contribute to a better world in the most varying geographical contexts. That is why I am initiating the ‘Confronting [In]Formality’ Group.” Daniel’s LinkedIN
“Being trained in the field of urbanism at four different universities made me fully aware of the remarkable complexity behind the (re)production of forms and patterns within our cities. Thus, as an urban specialist I am extremely motivated to work on developing new models to shape and design cities based on flexibility, self-organisation and spontaneous growth. That is why I am initiating the ‘Confronting [In]Formality’ Group.” Todor’s LinkedIN
“As an urbanist I see informality as the sum of all non-professional involvement in the city. Studying and including this involvement is vital for the practice of urbanism, as it gives academics, professionals and students an extended insight in the workings of the city. However, to do this we need to discuss and share our experiences with informality. That is why I am initiating the ‘Confronting [In]Formality’ group.” Yos’ LinkedIN
“Throughout the mastertrack (Urbanism, TU Delft) I developed a great interest in the uneven distribution of benefits in the flourishing developing world. This urban divide is often represented by major contrasts which rarely associate with the complex reality of everyday life and realistic future alternatives. As an urban planner I am concerned about the approach of governments towards informality. That is why I am initiating the ‘Confronting [In]Formality’ Group.” Belinda’s LinkedIN
International Symposium ‘Confronting [In]Formality’
Location: Berlagezaal, Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology
Date: 11th December 2014
* The initiative is sponsored by the Chair of Spatial Planning and Strategy (TU Delft) and Motiv.
Abstract
There is a growing attention for informal settlements and economies as important urban phenomena worth the attention of urban planners, designers and policy makers , We are witnessing a big raise in studies and projects on informality by architects and urbanists. There is a general belief that these informal structures possess an untapped potential to contribute to urban development.
Nevertheless, there is a substantial lack of knowledge on concept of informality. In the first place informal systems are strengthened by the public sector’s neglect of socio-spatial exclusion in cities. At the same time the incorporation of the informal structures in the formal urban development framework can erase the unique qualities and opportunities which informality brings to urban life.
Description
The symposium focuses on how informality is understood by contemporary practitioners in order to confront the shortcomings of urban planning and design. Responding to the current lack of discussion on this perspective at TU Delft, we would like to invite professionals, academics and students to discuss the diverse approaches in practice and academia towards different geographic and socio-economic contexts.
For a complete overview of the programme, see our website https://confrontinginformality.wordpress.com/
Join our LinkedIN group on http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Confronting-In-Formality-8190018?home=&gid=8190018&trk=my_groups-tile-grp
Thanks for sharing!
Todor Kesarovski, Yos Purwanto, Daniel Radai, Belinda van Zijl
Graduating masters students in Urbanism, TU Delft
Informal Urbanisation: Understanding and Mitigating a Global Phenomenon
confronting [in]formality 