Research topic ATM

Directed study with Edna and Cecilia, 15th October, 2013:

What urban form could maximise benefits from infrastructure as a social enterprise?

three variables:
- finances
- people
- urban form

comments: 
- start up would be a great learning curve and a case study in itself
- infrastructure can be many things - perhaps mobility would be achievable with small grant
- step back and define what is a city, what is a democracy - it is the luxury we have in academia, we can assume that anything can be questioned and changed. 

- what am I challenging?
- what is the problem exactly?
- would I want to use current funding as a frame for the whole research?

- it would be great to think about the research with a grant application in mind, if it does not work out, it is also OK.

- Can the solution be quite flexible, incremental, in stages? So that can be applied in smaller doses?
- Do we have to move houses? Is that the best solution?

Research question ATM

For Research Symposium poster:

Learning from Colonias in Texas:

Analysis of self-organizing structure and urban manifestation in

unincorporated settlements

Introduction:

Colonias are unincorporated

settlements along the U.S. -

Mexico border. They lack physical

infrastructure and civic facilities.

Upgrading colonias requires selforganization

and collective effort in

fi nding, obtaining and implementing

funding programs. Could the effort

benefi t from an alternative urban

form and infrastructure?

Abstract:

The research sets to analyze existing

colonias and propose alternative

infrastructure and urban form in

response to available fi nancial and

organizational capacity.

Hypotheses:

Self-organizing capacity of colonias’

residents is an asset that can be

employed in building settlements.

Alternative infrastructure (water/

sewage) can be cheaper to install,

run, and generates income.

Objective:

Finding a point at which the lack of

access to credit, unemployment,

availability of land, natural resources

and human capital can converge into

a viable unincorporated settlement.

Approach:

→ Case studies of infrastructure

installation in existing colonias in

Texas.

→ Case studies of self-organization

leading to obtaining funds for the

upgrade of physical infrastructure

in colonias in Texas.

→ Case studies of social-enterprise

cities

→ Action research in pilot colonia

in Texas

→ Interviews in colonias

→ Architectural/ urban/ business

proposal

PhD idea: by project - Build it

Build it. 

- get in touch with Mitchel - the sensible developer
- come up with a micro-finance, cooperative model - Cecilia
- get funding from Water board
- learn from DeSoto - violent/staged violent invasions
- self organization


New or retrofit? 

find the hole, how to insert the public space/infrastructure at the beginning. 

fiesta?
how does it start? 

PhD chat

12 Sept 2013

Cecilia’s office

Discussion triggered by my inability to decide whether to incorporate BIM.

Result: Lets leave it for now and be practical and honest. City Information Modelling has already been invented. I would be too removed from ‘action’.

I want to live where I do research - on site.
- in a colonia


Funding considerations:
- work on site - mechanical labor allows for thinking
- fellowship (ask Duygu)
- teach at TAMU branch
- scholarship

Funded research:
- water conservation (WDB) - Water Development Board
- transport - mobility (walking)
- energy conservation
- Habitat for Humanity
- Obama - tech hubs - intermediate technology

- Vista volunteers

Academic considerations:
- need to keep excellent GPA
- need to have excellent references
- allow for time
- summer is easier to take 'time off' than spring/fall

Topic considerations:
- may and may not be tied with funding
- a comparative study - might be too easy (Mexico - Texas colonias differences)
- public space, infrastructure
- transfer of cultural habits over the border, but not the built environment
- what are the characteristics of public space in Mexico? What are the reasons for it?
- Where from Mexico migration happens?

Locations:
- Laredo
- El Cenizo
- Las Lomas
- drive around
- Brownsville
- Mexico - Texas
- South America
- South Africa



look up:
Lia Vasconcelos: Nueva Lisboa
Public Space of Migrant Brazilians in Lisbon

CBR - Community Resource Group (NGO)
John Squires

Remember: How this all started.
Me in Mexico in Colonias Gerardo Perez wondering about rainwater collection!