The integration paths of the barrios of Caracas, Venezuela

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Volker Kreibich
• Subject Area: City Planning, Spatial Planning, Transportation and Infrastructure Planning, Landscape Planning
• Term: from 2004 to 2007
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5440797

• Final Report Year: 2007

Final Report Abstract

The meaning of integration according to barrio inhabitants is related to two main components. The first one is the need for a supporting community organisation where all inhabitants participate throughout the process (socio-political component). The second one is the sound implementation of integrationist projects and programs which should finally homologate their living conditions to that of the ‘formal city’ (physical component). Two unexpected observations emerged from the understanding which barrio inhabitants have of the integration process. Firstly, economic issues such as employment opportunities and fostering informal economic activities were not considered as integration factors. Secondly, their paradoxical appreciation of their built environment, which in a way hinders the integration process. On the one hand there is a general positive perception of the social and built environment of barrios while on the other, they feel that if given an opportunity they would leave the barrio on account of high crime rates prevalent in the barrio and the stigmatisation of barrios by the ‘formal city’. Both these observations need further investigation in order to understand why economic aspects are not part of their perspective on the integration process, and which are the cultural factors that determine their contradictory perceptions about their habitat. One relevant and potential area of research arising from the perception factor is the meaning of integration from the social image perspective. In general, the barrio outlook of politicians, the formal city and the barrio inhabitants themselves is negative, biased and stigmatized. If upgrading projects are to be successful in integrating barrios, these misperceptions need to be removed.

Publications

• (2004): New Research Project: Integration Paths of Barrios in Caracas, Venezuela. SPRING Newsletter 2003/2004, No. 10. Dortmund
  Ayala, Alonso and Volker Kreibich
  
• (2005): A Theoretical Framework of the Integration Process of Barrios in Caracas, Venezuela. SPRING/REL, Fakultät Raumplanung, Universität Dortmund. Dortmund (SPRING Colloquium)
  Ayala, Alonso and Volker Kreibich
  
• (2005): Aspectos relevantes de las posibilidades de intervención profesional del arquitecto en el mejoramiento del hábitat popular urbano. Curso Ampliación de Conocimientos, FAU/UCV. Caracas
  Ayala, Alonso
  
• (2005): DFG Research Project Mid-Term Report: The Integration Paths of the Barrios of Caracas. SPRING/REL, Fakultät Raumplanung, Universität Dortmund. Dortmund
  Ayala, Alonso and Volker Kreibich
  
• (2006): Los proyectos de mejoramiento: ¿Camino a la integración del Barrio? El caso “Caracas Mejoramiento de Barrios” en la UDU 4.4 Julián Blanco. Conferencia La Cuestión de la Integración de los Barrios Urbanos a la Ciudad de Caracas. FAU/UCV. Caracas
  Ayala, Alonso and Volker Kreibich
  
• (2007): Improving the Image of Informal Settlements as a Precondition for Sound Implementation of Urban Integration Projects - The Case of Caracas, Venezuela. New Concepts and Approaches for Urban and Regional Policy and Planning. ESDP Conference, Leuven, Belgium 02-03 April 2007
  Ayala, Alonso; Dick, Eva and Frank Schulz