Summary - GSD Cantinho do Céu Studio in São Paulo
Informal urbanism is the dominant mode of development in the fastest growing cities of the world. Today, we live in an age where over 30% of our urban world population lives in slums. The total of one billion slum dwellers is supposed to double by 2030. With the world going into a major recession, informal urbanism will expand even more than projected. Despite these facts, the majority of our design profession does not work, and more importantly does not know how to work in these areas.
Cantinho do Céu (A Place in Heaven) is an informal city in the South of São Paulo; it houses 70,000 slum dwellers out of the 1.5 million in the metropolis. Cantinho do Céu is of strategic importance for São Paulo. It sits at the largest water reservoir of the metropolis which it pollutes heavily. Despite its poor infrastructure, sanitation and economic problems, Cantinho do Céu is a vibrant city. Its several kilometer long waterfront is undeveloped and has high potential.
As finite masterplanning has failed in the area, the studio will pursue tactical operations unfolding over periods of time. Investigations will range from the watershed scale to the individual housing unit. A special focus will be placed on the deep integration of public space with alternative infrastructure propelling current favela upgrading practices to more contemporary principals of ecological urbanism.
Cantinho is a real project by our sponsor, the São Paulo Housing Agency which will fund our site visit in the first week of March. The studio is open to all departments and will be consulted by an international team of specialists ranging from environmental engineers to artists. The results of the studio will be published in a book, presented and exhibited at the Museu da Casa Brasileira in São Paulo.