Roof, Road, and River

-Samuel Ganton-

The world as we know it is coming to an end. But it has been coming to an end every moment for centuries. The world is a very dynamic thing, constantly changing form, and it is naïve to think that something is permanent because it exists now.

Objects or situations may be thought of not only as what they are, but as part of a continuing journey. The philosopher Aristotle viewed objects as manifestations of change, as ‘pauses’ in a progression of materials and ideas through time and space, linked by a web of causation.

Our cities may be on the verge of revolutionary changes to their traditional systems of organization. We have much to learn from those who have been leading subsistence-based lives, and from the solutions they have created for themselves.

Everything intentional happens for a purpose, a definite cause, and the innovations of slum-dwellers and squatter communities are driven by basic needs. Three of the most necessary things are shelter, adequate transportation, and a clean water supply. One might refer to this as the search for a Roof, a Road, and a River.

Most newcomers to urban areas in the developing world are unable to take part in the official economy. They must create everything on their own – an unofficial economy of small service and supply businesses is awakened. There are many examples of how this ‘informal sector’ has been able to organize itself, perhaps with some support from outside, to provide basic infrastructure for its own constituent people.

One example comes from the community of Kibera, in Nairobi, Kenya. One of the largest slum areas in the world, Kibera has minimal public water supplies. Much of the population is forced to buy water from vendors, who sell it at extremely high prices.

Watch a video about the situation at:
http://clpmag.org/article.php?article=Kenyans-Tap-Sun-to-Make-Dirty-Water-Sparkle_029


The Kenya Water for Health Organization, based in Nairobi, is working to change the situation from within. It is banding together groups of women in the community who can buy and sell water, keeping prices far lower than those of the vendors. In the neighborhood of Makina, they have been able to connect supply tanks to the water mains outside Kibera.

In areas farther from direct supply, and when even the water mains are contaminated, a simple method of sanitation called SODIS is practiced. This process of solar disinfection involves placing bottles of contaminated water in direct sunlight for six hours. According to testing, ultraviolet rays sanitize the water as effectively as boiling or chemical treatments.
This method may seem somewhat dangerous to us, with our recent suspicions of plastic bottles. However, in subsistence living, nothing is perfect. It just has to work.

The lack of access to direct water supply in some areas of Kibera, and the necessity for water vendors, highlights another important characteristic of subsistence-based communities. They are defined by physical boundaries and connections, rather than our disconnected lines of communication.


In the community of Asa Branca, a small favela in Rio de Janeiro, growth is limited by proximity to nearby construction jobs. Better roads were needed, but since local government officials refused to get involved, the people had to create their own infrastructure.


Link to a map of Asa Branca: http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&tab=wl



Gradually, the original dirt roads were paved: for each street that was improved, every household bordering it contributed materials and supplies. The inhabitants also contributed their time to the construction process.

Read more about Infrastructure in Asa Branca at: http://www.catcomm.org/en/?p=306


The concept of shelter can go beyond the idea of protection from the elements. Equally important is protection from the problems of crime and violence. In The Social Impact of Urban Design, Lee Rainwater points out that people “use space and barriers to further their defence against these various dangers.” (Rainwater 20) In Asa Branca, the improvement of transportation has an odd relationship with the provision of defensive shelter.

On the edge of the community is a doorway leading to the outside. Apparently making use of the upgraded roads, thieves on motorbikes would use this opening as an exit point after robberies. The people of the area came up with an extremely simple solution: they placed a thick metal pole in the centre of the doorway, allowing pedestrians to pass through, but blocking the way of other vehicles. This has contributed to Asa Branca’s current low crime rate and continued improvement.

From the water bottles of Kibera to the roads and built environment of Asa Branca, people in subsistence communities throughout the world are creating simple, logical solutions in response to particular problems they face. We have to awaken ourselves to our changing world, and ensure that these innovations do not slip under our bureaucratic, system-enslaved noses.


Bibliography:

Clark, David. Urban World / Global City. London: Routledge, 1996.

"Galeria pública de Asa Branca," http://picasaweb.google.com.br/comunidadeasabranca (accessed November 4, 2009).

Laquian, A.A., and Yeh, Stephen H.K. Housing Asia's Millions. Ottawa: International Development Research Centre, 1979.

Patrick Donohue, "Side Effects - A Day in the Community," http://www.brinq.com/ (accessed November 4, 2009).

Rainwater, Lee. The Social Impact of Urban Design. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1971.

“Road,” http://en.wikivisual.com/images/9/94/Road-sibiu.jpg (accessed November 4, 2009).

“River,” http://www.cc.gatech.edu/cpl/projects/graphcuttextures/data/interaction/LittleRiver.jpg (accessed November 4, 2009).

Sarah Stuttville, "Kenyans Tap Sun to Make Dirty Water Sparkle," April 13, 2008, http://clpmag.org/article.php?article=Kenyans-Tap-Sun-to-Make-Dirty-Water-Sparkle_029 (accessed November 4, 2009).

Simon Morfit, "Community Cohesion in Asa Branca," http://www.catcomm.org/en/?p=306, (accessed November 4, 2009).

“Wood Shingle Roofing [Online] Available http://www.hometips.com/catimages/012610_wood_shingle_roof.jpg (accessed November 4, 2009).