Ciudad Disidente: Addressing social and infrastructural deficiencies in villa salvador-- Part 1

Within the next twenty years, the Global South will account for 95% of urban growth, and nearly half of that will be within the informal sector.1 The population living within slums is expected to increase to two billion people by 2030, and if left unchecked, it may reach three billion by 2050.2 This extreme growth requires an URGENT response in order offset its adverse effects on the urban environment. Thus far, architects’ interventions in informal settlements have focused almost entirely on designing housing in order to improve the quality of life, and to meet the demands of the growing population. This, however, is only a temporary social problems are not addressed. Providing increased agency through community participation in the design and construction processes will encourage residents to be INVESTED in their neighborhood’s future. They will be more likely to focus on the maintenance and development of their homes, businesses, and public spaces. Villa El Salvador faces many of the characteristic challenges of a typical slum. Its periphery lacks proper infrastructure as well as social and governmental facilities. Architects are morally obligated to develop the commercial, social, and industrial sectors in addition to the residential in order to improve the HEALTH OF THE CITY