RETHINKING GATED COMMUNITIES
New Urbanism for neighbourhood development
CASE OF STUDY - BOGOTA, COLOMBIA. The capital city of Colombia, Bogota, was the case of study for this work. Whereas the city has traditionally grown via open neighbourhoods, the last two decades have been settle on by the growing of gated enclaves with over 2.7 million people living there. This phenomenon has placed a high level of spatial fragmentation and social divides between high and low-income neighbourhoods, that has been emphasized by the lack of planning and design regulations.
High-priority private vehicles
Feeling of fear and Insecurity
Poor quality of Architecture
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Bogota is probably the densest city on the planet, with 7 million individuals living on 35,000 hectares. Vehicle possession is low, at one vehicle for every nine occupants (1), similar to the quantity of vehicles comparative with the length of the street arrange (2). About 71% of mechanized outings are by the system of buses known as Transmilenio (1). Additionally to long travel times, these underlying problems led to poorly maintained roads, bad driving behaviours, and parked cars occupying public spaces such as sidewalks.
Homes surrounded by fences
15 km River
Wetlands
City parks
Town
Eastern Hills 2.600 mts
• Gated communities in Bogota, Colombia
• Section
RESEARCH PROBLEM - SPATIAL SEGREGATION AND GATED COMMUNITIES
CONNECTIVITY GREEN SPACE
CONNECTIVITY GREEN SPACE
CASE - PABLO VI
LAND USES
LAND USES
Spatially, the next layouts show the degree of connectivity, land uses and green space for three gated communities allocated in Bogota, Colombia. The initial outcomes suggest a lack of connectivity and, land use activities.
CASE - LA FELICIDAD
LAND USES
CONNECTIVITY
CASE - COLSUBSIDIO
GREEN SPACE
In recent years most of the neighbourhood units in the Global South have been developed under gated communities’ schemes (residential areas with restricted access in which normally public spaces are privatised). Whilst this might bring benefits for residents such as a sense of security, and, in some cases, good quality of design, gated enclaves also establish physical and social barriers which highlight social differences, and promote discriminatory behaviours.
• Bogota city context
SITE PROJECT From the city scale, the site project includes several metropolitan landmarks considered as part fundamental of townscape and urban structure. For example, The Simon Bolivar Park is the largest in the city with almost 400 hectares. (2) It also has a large number of recreational and cultural facilities that attract local and international scale events . The planning department is located within a modern building created in 1933. This part of the city supply services related to planning, road infrastructure and all aspects related to urban planning (3). The area is also surrounding by other important places such as The National University. La Candelaria is household to some of Bogotá’s most popular museums and attractions. The neighbourhood is an eclectic juxtaposition between old and new, historic and modern. The beautiful buildings are typical of Spanish colonial architecture (4).
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