Secondary Succession Urbanism

Are the principles of secondary succession in ecology transferable to the urban environment? Consider for a moment the effects the rapid urbanisation has had on the existing landscape. Could this be considered the "event' within the principles of second succession? If you could suggest that the kumpungs of Jakarta are in fact a landscape typology, in the way they act and react to forces around them, then is it not possible to suggest that they could be an important trigger in the process of ecological renewal of the urban environment?

 

Brainstorm.

Once again the 3rd landscape theory of Gilles Clement has emerged. Once again it can not be ignored. How do you design with these principles? Do not the creation of slums reflect in their emergence the same  principles as Gilles Clements theory of the third landscape?

"Secondary succession is a process started by an event that reduces an already established ecosystem to a smaller population of species". wikipedia.org

Jakartas Human System

Jakarta as a human system is a notion that suggest that the city as an entity is reliant on its urban poor population to function at a acceptable level. The above diagram is depicting the location of large scale Urban slums (incomplete) and the idea that they are responsible for material collection and recycling across the municipality. These communities are an extremely important part of the urban fabric and the idea that would be subjected to large scale relocation due to economic expansion leads to the hypothesis that Jakarta would chock under its own "progress".

 

The above mapping are an indication of the scale of urban poor communities within Jakarta, their possible commerce and materials collection range and a  negative hypothetical representation of the same system if all communities are eventually forced further out due to economic expansion.

 

Hypothesis of the extreme condition of demographic relocation.

Fractals in nature.

What is a slum? This question can be explored in many ways, from economic to social to political. To explain the beginning of my understanding I will try to frame my position in terms of Landscape and Architecture. I would suggest that even though these communities possess shelter which could be considered within the realm of architecture, that they posses a unique relationship to landscape. That they could be considered a typology of landscape. Adaptation, fluctuation, compression and expansion are all qualities of landscape. They are also all qualities of these communities. These spaces are not stagnant, the move and flow with the forces around them. Are they an extension of nature through the most basic needs of humans? What patterns can be seen through the emergence of these communities? They are not set in stone with a projected lifespan, they can last the life of the city and indeed become a city if given the opportunity, they are temporal, functional yet they could be considered in their infancy, with a obligation to be nurtured, not dominated..........

Below is a copy of a offshoot research proposal, its is a study of Tokyo and its ability to function in cohesion with its extreme density. Their are interesting comparrison that have yet to be explored.

Hmmm.......

Can the urban slum be used as a frame work to increase the presents of healthy ecology's within these cities? Are they strategically located to bleed out into the urban metropolis becoming the catalyst for improved environmental conditions???  To what capacity can the retrofit and the proposed "land grab" work parallel to one another ...............?

NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS,
and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

 1976, 1989 and 2004 documented growth of Jakarta, blue is urban area and red is vegetation.

Whats a diagram again?

Brainstorm Diagram

Numbers Game?

Has the objective changed or become less contained? 

How do you design for a demographic that is largely use to self survival and resourceful in their own right. How do you establish a condition that will allow for organic growth to a point that the community becomes self sustaining without giving over possible space to so called "developers"? Is it more important to focus on the creation of more communities or the continued growth of existing without giving consideration to the conditions that are present? These brainstorm designs have increased my awareness of the need for a parallel approach to the situation, a. being the search and creation of land for increased communities within the urban fabric and b. being the small scale ground up approach within existing communities. These designs would address issues such as water (drinking, washing, drainage) and vegetation ecology's, with an aim at improved sanitation.   

An Exploration in Networks and Typologies

 

A continuation in the exploration of form and networks. The first model above is an adjusted representation of the Kampung network studied in the previous site analysis. The scale of this network is what is interesting to me, in comparison to that of the road or rail networks. This models explores the idea of networks, form and layering, moving into the vertical plane. Is this a possible direction in the greater design? The idea of create space is very interesting, can these typologies which have previously been a direct physical boundary become ideal spaces for growth.

The inverted Folie exploration creates an amazing form which has varying differences from its original state. Surface area and light are obviously exciting discoveries which could help in the understanding and creation of usable space for the appropriation of these communities.

 Road, water and rail junction, Jakarta

Incremental site analysis

 

Location, networks and interesting spaces.

This test site provided me with a number of interesting conditions. Obviously it is a major water, rail and road junction with a large amount of Kampungs located adjacent to these typologies. These communities are established, with there own networks, occupying the total amount of space directly available to them. Yet they have edges that interest me in their potential for continued growth. Are these the available spaces for growth, areas that originally acted as a boundary could be come greater networks for housing and soft transport, tapping into the existing linear nature these typologies. Creating a layered network of potential, for land growth, housing & ecological improvement?