Transportation and Shelter

This webpage describes how shelter was shaped by transportation.

The reason that our shelter is what it is today, is due mainly to the development of transportation. However, it elaborates that the transportation system is dependant on financial stability and when either this crashes, or when we run out of affordable resources to fund our transportation, we will no longer have the means to build/repair the houses that we've built dependant on this transportation.

"[U]p to this point transportation has determined the nature, structure, and location of our shelters. If we are to survive, we must reverse the situation. Our transportation must be changed so that it will fit in with our next generation shelters."

With this new generation of shelter, it is suggested thats transportation must integrate the technology of travelling "highspeed overhead" (e.g. like a suspended train?). Then, for transportation in a broader sense of importation and exportation, long-range transportation will be composed of turbines with airframe construction.

Transportation and shelter must be integrated together, to allow for efficient and useable cities.

Lia Tramontini

9 November 2010

Community for Tomorrow. "Shelter and Transportation." Accessed November 9, 2010. http://www.communityfortomorrow.org/Shelter.htm.

Settlement Patterns

Although the appearance of a slum community is ugly and messy, it has sophisticated participatory practices and a light way of occupying land. Because of the need to Survive, the slum dwellers have creative way of constructing their homes within limited space. There is often a misconception that they are endless seams of mud and huts, however within the community there are lots of economic activities - stores, bars, hairdressers, everything. One of the ways in which slum dwellers conserve space is to build on top of a roof of existing houses.
The average size of shack in this area is 12x12ft built with mud walls, screened with concrete, a corrugated tin roof, dirt or concrete floor. These shacks often house up to 8 or more, many sleeping on the floor.

Perhaps because of the chaos and disorder created by the arbitrary construction of buildings, the primary concern to address is to create a land system that would allow for order and organization. The most efficient way to get around neighbourhood is using the grid system. Parallel lines, each far enough apart that everyone can walk to one of them, and another set of the same limes perpendicular to them. the grid system maintains the interaction within the community and allows for good transportation flow, yet doesn't waste the amount of building space.

In a square grid system, the percentage of area of streets is 36% and percentage of building area is 64%, and ideal ration for a community.

Here are some other examples of typical patterns



Jacqueline Chow
9 November 2010

“Human Transit,” last modified February 24, 2010, http://www.humantransit.org/2010/02/the-power-and-pleasure-of-grids.html

"Residential Street Pattern Design," last modified July, 2002, http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/publications/en/rh-pr/tech/socio75.html

"Slums and Housing in Africa," last modified December, 2003, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1309/is_4_40/ai_114007082/pg_2/?tag=content;col1

"Kiberia," Kiberia - UK, accessed November 9, 2010, http://www.kibera.org.uk/Facts.html

"Learning from slums," last modified March 1, 2009, http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/03/01/learning_from_slums/?page=5

Water in the Context of the Urban Survival Kit

Water is an essential element in life, and has been a core part of Human civilization since antiquity. Communities developed around places of water, as they could be used both for consumption and transportation. Water was therefore the backbone of the economy, fuelling growth of the community. Water, as a central element of Life has also brought upon Death, as disease can be spread around a community. The design of water transport systems can minimize the risk of spreading disease, and maintain a healthy population. Since water is precious to life and civilizations, it must be cared for as to sustain the cycle of life. We must use water carefully, be efficient with it, and ensure that it can be used by future generations.

Safira Lakhani
9 November 2010

Water Distribution using SQFlex systems

The SQFlex project helps to provide both water and the power needed to fuel the pump system. This green technology collaborates with nature to create power for the water supply system. By using solar powered systems and wind powered systems, water gets distributed efficiently.

The SQFlex pump motor unit is powered by solar panels. By simply changing to a higher output voltage, it ensures optimum efficiency and can increase 20% of flow in small systems per day. The panels are mounted to support structures without the use of any special tools and create for a highly efficient and easy to maintain system. The water pumps are installed in existing wells and boreholes and the energy from the solar panels pump the water to their homes.

In Uganda, Africa, the process of fetching water from Lake Victoria is cumbersome for those who live far from the shoreline. Boiling it for purification also takes additional time. After the installation of the solar panels, the Lake Victoria Childrens Home are able to have water pumped directly to their residential area. Because Uganda is situated on the equator, there are numerous sunny days. But since installing the system, they are able to receive fresh clean water directly out of the pipes.

The SQFlex Wind system is suitable for open fields, valleys and landscapes where the wind blows constantly. The small but high-quality wind turbine consists of only a few simple components, making it easy to install and maintain compared to conventional windmills. The Wind system essentially works the same as the solar panels and generates power to pump water to specified locations.

The two systems are advantageous because with an abundance of sunshine or wind, the SQflex can deliver an ample supply of groundwater.

Jacqueline Chow
19 November 2010

Grudfos Renewables. "Application and systems for remote water for remote water transportations."

Grudfos Management A/S. Accessed Novemeber 19, 2010.http://net.grundfos.com/doc/webnet/renewables/index.html.

"Grundfos SQFlex Renewable Energy Pumps." Grundfos SQFlex Pump Systems, Solar and Wind Powered Water Pumps. Grand Canyon Pump, 2006. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. <http://www.gcpsolar.com/>.

Example of a Slum

Here is a map of Kianda within Kibera:

This is one of the largest slums in Africa. The slum includes 13 villages and is around 2.5 square kilometers in size. There is around 1225 main structures in Kianda, and 300 smaller structures not fit for homes. 91.2% are households and 4.6% are business units. 45% of the population within the slum are minors under the age of 18.

Joel Piecowye

9 November 2010

Shelter: Part 1

Shelters within slums or disadvantaged communities are often poorly built and lacking utilities that now have become natural necessities within the modern home.

Septic Systems

In disadvantaged and poorly built communities, often the situation of how to deal with waste becomes a issue hazardous to the health of its residents. There is a way to construct a private septic system that are made up of simply to parts: The holding and digesting tanks, and the dispersal (or leeching) field. The system is shown with images on this website below but can be built in a fairly short and easy number of steps.

If sceptic tanks like these could be implemented within the communities, then the risk of disease and sickness that may spread during poor disposal of waste is now contained.

Roof
To make shelters also functional as well as protection from the elements, one could cheaply put in place a rain water collection system. This helps the lack of clean drinking water often found in areas that are considered to be slums.

The rainwater catchment system, (found on here) is based on the collection of rainwater and gravity flow pressure principles. The rainwater runs off the roof the water into rain gutters which channel the water into a standpipe. When the standpipe reaches its capacity, (in this condition 150 gal,) the overflow runs down a pipe into a large drum.

These systems are relatively inexpensive. and are very flexible in the sense that the barrels can vary in sizes. These systems are easily installed and can be placed wherever is convenient and makes water available where wells are unsafe to be drilled, or river water is unsafe.

To aid the help of roof water collection, there are other types of materials that roofing can be used. These materials can be mass produced and distributed among the communities. Here are some examples.

Patrick Verkley
9 November 2010

Water: Hydropower

Presently, hydropower is used almost exclusively for the generation of electricity. Unlike fossil fuels, water power is a renewable source of energy which does not deplete through usage. In 1859, wind and water power accounted for two-thirds of mechanical power used in the US. Small scale hydropower installations utilized only a small fraction of streams or rivers potential while large-scale hydroelectric power plants are built in conjunction with a reservoir where the water is held and can be withdrawn.

Small scale installations may be a good way to produce electricity in a community where its not practical to construct a reservoir.

Haylie Chan
November 9th, 2010

Krenz, Jerrold H. Energy: Conversion and Utilization (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1976), 259-260