How might we rethink urban planning in a holistic and participatory way?
Yo, mi Barrio, mi Ciudad
A strategy of intervention in informal settlements
Role
Project Coordinator, Participatory Design Specialist, in charge of Training Teams and Implementation in 5 provinces
Team
Ministerio de Desarrollo Urbano y Vivienda, Ecuador
External Partners
Local stakeholders in implementation areas
Challenge
In Ecuador, a country with a population of almost 16 million, 70% of the constructions are informal, and 3 million people live in poorly built housing.
Like most countries in Latin America, the Ecuadorian government applies the ABC (Ahorro, Bono, Crédito) model, that translates into “Savings, Bono, Credit”. A Bono is a subsidy given by the government through its ministries, to motivate the citizens to improve their housing conditions. Usually, this bono was given in a sporadic way, to applications who meet the criteria, which often resulted in poor and random urban planning. This government wanted to implement more sustainable and holistic strategies.
As part of a new approach to public policy, “Yo, mi Barrio, mi Ciudad” (YBC) is an intervention strategy in consolidated neighborhoods and cities of urban areas. Its objective is to optimize and empower the built city through integral interventions - on housing and public space levels- to help improve the living conditions, strengthen the social cohesion, and promote the sustainability of existing urban systems.
YBC integrates various development actors:
- Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (MIDUVI)
- Local communities
- Financial Institutions (FI)
- Independant Professionals (PATS)
- Local governments such as municipalities
- Local stakeholders such as Universities, NGOs, Schools and volunteers without direct investment
The first pilot project was implemented in 2015.
