Citation
Colavidas Espinosa, Felipe and Salas Serrano, Julián and Gesto Barroso, Belén and Gómez Megías, Guillermo
(2014).
A sustainable? urban planning for the poorest.
In: "World Sustainable Building 2014 Barcelona", 28/10/2014-30/10/2014, Barcelona, España. ISBN 978-84-697-1815-5. pp. 560-570.
Abstract
One of the building sector's challenge, if they are worried about environment and
sustainability, is an overwhelming housing deficit and new urban growth in the least
developed countries. Urban plannig must pre-date, must be able to anticipate, even
spontaneous construction.
Which instruments can be put into practice to avoid and control the urban squatting, dealing
with the poorest population's housing demands and reality, favoring the development of
human sustainable settlements?
Urban planning, since the 60's, implemented some concrete instruments to control the
creation of urban informal settlements, but none of the scale and characteristics of the
Guided Occupancy Programme, successfully implemented by the city of Trujillo, Peru, for
over a decade. This programme constitutes an exemplary approach to the problem. While not
necessarily constituting an universal solution, it might be viewed as a viable and reproducible
alternative in situations of widespread poverty as a sustainable urban planning for the
poorest.