Workshop (1) Mejicanos: Scenario Spatial Planning _Explanation-ENG

1. Workshop Mejicanos (1) 13/05/09 – Urban Emergencies
Workshop Mejicanos (1) 13/05/09
Introduction
We developed a workshop in order to gain graphic documentation from the habitants
and aff iliated off icials/NGO members about the development opportunities in
communities Buenos Aires, Finca Argentina and Wellington.
Objectives
Mejicanos is our case study which provided a lot of information for our contemporary
analysis. With this we are able to understand more and more about incentives,
dependence to the city center/connectivity and vulnerability. A couple of issues we want
to point out at this moment are:
- social problems
- land rights (owner)
- environmental issues
- risk reduction
- politics
- …………………
For our course/research Urban Emergencies we have two points in general we want to
investigate further:
- Grass-root culture: cultural influence on spatial planning
- (Inter)national post-disaster aid that could be used for urban development in
general
Aside from Urban Emergencies, we investigate (cultural) architectural issues for another
course of TUD (Technical Unviverity Delft) called Architectural Body:
- Material flow: production, use and acceptance
- Housing and construction typologies
- Soil studies
And for one our sponsors ENVIU, who are developing a program called OShouse with
objectives:
- To make housing and construction in developing countries more sustainable
- To make the worldwide knowledge and creativity in the f ield of architecture and
sustainability accessible to a broad group of people
- To inspire and involve young entrepreneurial people worldwide in the
development of the OShouse concept
Team assembly
Our workshop is made possible by collaborating with Jorge and Mercedes from Fundasal,
Victor Perez, Ricardo Barrera and Rodriguez from the Municipality of Mejicanos, Abigail
of Procomes and 2 to 3 people from every community. We plan to assemble 3 groups
with at least 1 off icial/NGO member.
We want to stress the fact that there should be no hierarchy within the groups and that
the different opinions should be documented as much as possible.
Needs
Our needs include:
- 9 grey prints of sector Montreal - video camera (stative, enough memory)
- 9 grey prints of pasaje plan + section - pencils and pens
- 3 x 5 color markers - water, pun dulce, soda
- flip over board - 6 x 3 explanation
Workshop Mejicanos (1) 13/05/09 – Urban Emergencies

2. Workshop Mejicanos (1) 13/05/09 – Urban Emergencies
Taller Emergencias Urbanas en Sector Montreal, Mejicanos.
Hola somos Barbara, Wouter y Dieuwer estudiantes de arquitectura y urbanismo de
Universidad TU Delft de Holanda. Nosotros estamos en El Salvador para hacer una
investigación de desastres naturales y acciones para moderar de riesgo y la ayuda después
del desastre. La investigación llama emergencia urbana y tiene lugar a cinco otros países
mundialmente.
En sector Montreal usted convive frecuentemente con riesgos de inundación y
deslizamientos de tierra en invierno. Nosotros trabajamos con Procomes, Fundasal,
Cordaid (ONG de Hollanda) y Victor Perez para levantar un mapa de situación de sector
Montreal. Nuestra intención es llegar a conocer como el sector de Montreal ha crecido y
como los desastres han afectado el desarrollo.
This workshop is about the state of liveability, urban conditions and future
development possibilities concerning your community and sector Montreal in relation to
natural disasters and the responses initiated by different actors.
Nosotros están muy agradecidos por su colaboración y esperando con ansia los
resultados de nuestra investigación. Si tiene alguna pregunta acerca del taller o
de nuestra investigación no dude en contactarnos.
The workshop consists out of 3 assignments, with presentation and feedback.
Estimated time per assignment is 30 min – 45 min
Please feel free to share as much as possible, use graphic illustrations,
descriptions and examples.
Workshop Mejicanos (1) 13/05/09 – Urban Emergencies

3. Workshop Mejicanos (1) 13/05/09 – Urban Emergencies
1 Scenario _Unlimited:
A disaster occurred in the form of mudslides and floods, which destroyed all
houses and infrastructure/open space. The capacity of financial aid is (fictional)
unlimited and comes from all actors:
- NGO
- habitants/people: organized communities
- national government
- local government
- Church
- private sector
The assignment:
- Design a master plan (spatial plan) to develop new opportunities, on two
different scales: the region and the passage.
- Indicate how long people will stay in emergency shelter, transitional and
then permanent houses. And indicate how long you expect it will take to
get the legal documents to that lot/house.
Theme:
Free design; there are no economical or political restrictions
Practical clarification:
Draw your master plan on the original map of sector Montreal, Mejicanos.
The area is free for use. So the roads and the lots for example can be changed.
The only restrictions are the geographical features: boundaries, unsafe areas for
construction.
Your group has about 30 minutes to complete your plan afterwards you will
present it in approximately 5 minutes. Please document your vision/perception on
the issues as much as possible using descriptions on post-its and sketches.
Products:
- Master plan: houses, roads, facilities (shops/schools/churches/bus stops
etc)
- Drawings/impression
- Descriptions
- Timeline: give the amount of days/months/years that you expect is
necessary to develop emergency/transitional/permanent houses.
Workshop Mejicanos (1) 13/05/09 – Urban Emergencies

4. Workshop Mejicanos (1) 13/05/09 – Urban Emergencies
2 Scenario _Restricted:
A disaster occurred in the form of mudslides and floods, which destroyed all
houses and infrastructure/open space. The capacity of financial aid is limited
and only comes from a couple actors. With this limited capacity the situation
forces to make priorities in which area the development should take place.
The assignment:
- Indicate your hierarchy from highest priority (1) to lowest priority (5).
Choose which actor is responsible for improving this. Choose which actor
you expect to do something about that point of focus.
- To design an integrated master plan (spatial plan) to your hierarchie on the
points of focus, on two different scales: the region and the passage.
Theme:
Include al points of focus and expand the list if necessary in the plan, but indicate
which are the most important.
Practical clarification:
Out of our analysis the focus points are:
- social problems
- land rights (owner)
- environmental issues
- risk reduction
- politics
- ….
Illustrate your vision on these points, you are free to add more.
Draw your master plan on the original map of sector Montreal, Mejicanos.
The area is free for use. So the roads and the lots for example can be changed.
The only restrictions are the geographical features: boundaries, unsafe areas for
construction.
Your group has about 30 minutes to complete your plan afterwards you will
present it in approximately 5 minutes. Please document your vision/perception on
the issues as much as possible using descriptions on post-its and sketches.
Products:
- Hierarchy: give your opinion about the issues that need the most attention,
from 1 (most) – 5 (lowest). Fill in who do you trust to solve these problems
and who do you feel will solve these problems in reality.
- Master plan: houses, roads, facilities (shops/schools/churches/bus stops
etc)
- Drawings/impression
- Descriptions
Workshop Mejicanos (1) 13/05/09 – Urban Emergencies

5. Workshop Mejicanos (1) 13/05/09 – Urban Emergencies
Scenario _Renovation:
No (big) disaster occurred for while, only heavy rain which caused no damage.
There is aid from all actors for development. The capacity of financial aid is
unknown, so there is a need for a proposal/development plan.
What incentives are important? With incentive we mean a response that
triggers a type of behavior in people and the urban layout. This could be
positive as well as negative. For example:
- Dense living: (multilayered) housing in a safer constructed building which
makes more room for public space but less privacy.
- Infrastructure: risk reduction, improvement of connectivity but no
improvement of houses itself
- Education: schools, possibility to go to school nearby and learn but a
increase of population and crowdedness
- Economy/employment: new local market that stimulate job opportunities
but takes a long time to stabilize
The assignment:
- Indicate in the map of Montreal where the area is to implement an
incentive, to start a project that will change the situation in multiple
aspects of living. On two different scales: the region and the passage.
- Explain your choice and make an impression of the psychical
space/building that will host this incentive.
Theme:
To illustrate your perspective of an action (incentive) that will have influence on
multiple aspects of living in the community and your home.
Practical clarification:
Choose your most important action and explain the positive and negative
consequences you expect to follow after the realization of your choice.
Illustrate your vision on these incentives, feel free to describe them in more detail.
Draw your master plan on the original map of sector Montreal, Mejicanos.
The area is similar to the present situation. Clarify your choices for renovating
certain areas/buildings etc.
Your group has about 30 minutes to complete your plan afterwards you will
present it in approximately 5 minutes. Please document your vision/perception on
the issues as much as possible using descriptions on post-its and sketches.
Products:
- Master plan: indicate your area of focus and draw the spatial surroundings
- Drawings
- Descriptions
- Sketch your vision, try to add detail in drawing and descriptions.
Workshop Mejicanos (1) 13/05/09 – Urban Emergencies

6. Workshop Mejicanos (1) 13/05/09 – Urban Emergencies
We appreciate your time and would like to thank all of the people
who made this workshop possible.
We continue our work, we are trying to have another workshop on Friday the 15 th
of May.
Please follow our work:
www.urbanemergencies.org
www.elsalvador-urbanemergencies.blogspot.com
For contact:
Mail: elsalvador@urbanemergencies.org
Tel: 7288 5682
7288 7276
7491 1827
Workshop Mejicanos (1) 13/05/09 – Urban Emergencies