Morphogenesis of Emerging Settlements: Mapping Incremental Urbanism

Abstract

Informal urbanism has become a widespread form of urbanisation, particularly in the context of the global South. While there is an emerging body of knowledge focusing on the morphologies of informal settlements, the incremental transformations of emerging settlements have remained underexplored. Drawing on a case study of an emerging settlement in Nigeria, we map the emergence and incremental transformation of access networks and buildings. This is an exploratory study focusing on the morphogenesis of emerging settlements to explore how the incremental production of space works. We adopt urban mapping and typology as key methods. Following the analysis of emerging access networks, this paper identifies three primary types of change, namely add, alter, and remove, and further develops a typology of emerging junctions by specifying four types of T, Y, X, and Mixed shape junctions. The incremental transformations of buildings primarily incorporate practices of addition and removal, among others. We also identify three forms of relation between the emerging access networks and buildings: access network first, building first, and co-production. We argue that moving towards developing adaptive design interventions relies on a sophisticated understanding of the process of morphogenesis in emerging settlements.

Shaping Public Space in Informal Settlements: A Case Study

“…While informal settlements may share some morphological similarities in a global context, different patterns of access network can be found across different informal settlements. For example, the access network in Comuna Nororiental is different from the access networks found in case studies in Pune, India [22] and Abuja, Nigeria [28]. The width of laneways also varies in relation to how the access networks have emerged and become consolidated.…”

“…Drawing on case study research in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Bandung in Indonesia, Suhartini and Jones [26] provide a better understanding of self-organisation in the context of urban kampungs. While there is also emerging literature on the morphogenesis of informal settlements [27][28][29], the shaping of public space has remained understudied in informal settlements.…”

Adaptability and Interconnectedness in Latin American Innerburbs: An Assessment of the Public/Private Interface in Informal Settlements

“…Nevertheless, several studies have made significant findings in identifying recurrent morphological interaction components in informal space, such as permeability, interconnectedness, mobility and adaptability. Thus, interconnectedness and adaptability in informal settlements have been reviewed in the exploration of informal configurations based on initial studies of incremental organisation and codes [26][27][28][29] and as an instrument for measuring street vitality and spatial permeability [30,31]. Kamalipour has identified interface typologies according to their degrees of connectivity (impermeable, accessible, porous) and their proximity, with levels of enclosure according to interface transition (adjacent and distant) [20].…”

Integrated Approach to Explore Multidimensional Urban Morphology of Informal Settlements: The Case Studies of Lahore, Pakistan

“…This research outlines a methodological approach where five different urban analytical indicators were assessed to understand informal urban settlements' morphology. Informal settlements vary in terms of their typologies, morphologies, and morphogenetic processes [100,101]. It is challenging to recognize such settlements' distinct and complex forms, particularly in the Global South, where a lack of data and research exists.…”