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February 08, 2007

STRATEGY: People’s Environmental Planning

Shawn is an architect who works with the Federation of Urban Poor to provide technical support with housing solutions. He told us about some of the interesting nuances with trying to build dense and ecologically-healthy houses in informal settlements. It turns out that building vertically is not a popular option, as people do not want to live off the ground, or above another family. Also, as poor people want to move up in the world, they tend to reject the traditional (but ecologically and economically sensible) methodologies of building with mud and thatched roofs. They want concrete or brick houses with sloped metal roofs. And then the wealthiest people pay a fortune to have thatched roofs put on their houses. Ah, the irony.

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