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Disruptive adaptations: An urban design approach to youth socio-economic resilience, a case of Havana in Katutura, Windhoek - Namibia
The youth in marginalized communities, such as Havana in Katutura, grapple with substantial unemployment due to limited formal opportunities. To sustain their livelihoods, they resort to the informal economy, working as street vendors or establishing small survivalist enterprises for income. Through...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics
2025
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| Summary: | The youth in marginalized communities, such as Havana in Katutura, grapple with substantial unemployment due to limited formal opportunities. To sustain their livelihoods, they resort to the informal economy, working as street vendors or establishing small survivalist enterprises for income. Through a qualitative research methodology, this study delves into the stories of informal youth vendors to understand the innovative strategies they employ daily as they navigate the challenges they face, how they appropriate public spaces to meet their needs, and how they create socioeconomic opportunities for themselves, even though these may not be sufficient. The analysis and exploration of the study bring to light aspects related to the negotiation of space in highly contested spaces, as well as the power dynamics inherent in urban design, planning policies, and urban developments. Havana, as an urban informal settlement, is experiencing rapid growth accompanied by the complexities that come with urban expansion, including a lack of basic services, inadequate sanitation, improper waste management methods, and insufficient infrastructure and public spaces, particularly youth centered. This study seeks to address the question of whether urban design can serve as an effective approach to creating improved socio-economic opportunities for the majority of residents in Havana Informal Settlement. The approach adopted is incremental, and through the design process of this study, an adaptive urban design framework has been developed—one that is flexible and adaptable to address the identified challenges. In conclusion, the study presents a set of spatial guidelines that can be implemented in similar contexts. |
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