A physical solution?

Humanitarian aid is provided to developing countries and is often coupled with the design of architectural infrastructure. Humanitarian architecture is a term used to refer to a design trend that focuses on local, available architectural and urban solutions to aid people in crises, with the goal of improving quality of life, and assessing social value.9 It is important to note however that social value should ‘be considered at every stage of the project, not just building design’.10 This encompasses the consultation and construction processes as well, giving the surrounding community a voice and passageway for change and input, in order to ensure specific needs are catered for.11 In my project, I will take the crisis in need of aid being the potential dismantling of informal economies.

Humanitarian architecture can help preserve informal economies by incorporating existing informal economies into the design of public spaces and infrastructure, or potentially by designing new spaces specifically to support and/or integrate informal economic activity. To give a simplified example, a typical market could be designed with the needs of informal traders in mind, for example giving access for sellers to basic amenities like clean water, toilets, and waste disposal areas, as well as security measures to protect against theft and other crime. This can help to formalize informal economic activity; by improving working conditions and safety for the vendors, and contributing to economic growth of the industry.

Secondly, Humanitarian architecture incorporates sustainable design principles, such as the use of locally-sourced material, the inclusion of local enterprises in the construction, and the promotion of energyefficient and environmentally-friendly building practices. This helps to reduce the impact of urban development on the natural environment and surrounding community, while also promoting local economic development and preserving traditional building techniques and architectural styles.

Overall, this project aims to holistically approach urban design and planning, and take into account the needs of informal economic actors with the aim of helping to create more equitable and sustainable urban environments, supporting the continued existence and development of informal economies. In particular, my project aims to aid one particular subsector of the informal economy – crafting and creative industries.