Urban qualities and residents’ strategies in compact global south cities: the case of Havana

Abstract

Research and policy argue for more compact cities to respond to sustainable development challenges. However, what actually needs to be made more compact and how, is under examined, particularly in global South cities where north notions of urban qualities are adopted without being questioned. Informed by a qualitative study in informal and compact neighborhoods in Havana, this paper explores which qualities are important to deliver more just cities, and what strategies are developed by residents to strengthen beneficial qualities and address detrimental qualities in contexts of informal urbanization and compactness. It shows how the street, human capital, neighborhood, housing affordability, citizenship and vibrancy are significant compact city qualities neglected in the literature. Finally, the paper shows how diverse strategies are developed by residents to draw upon these qualities, such as self-help urbanism, learning and innovation, economic entrepreneurship, networks of solidarity, economies of reciprocity, local imaginaries and active citizenship.

Towards a Better Understanding of Compact Cities

“…(e.g., see (Ogrodnik 2020) -Study 4). Other examples from the last 5 years include (Liaqat et al 2017), (Abdullahi and Pradhan 2018), (Augusta, Jerry and Justus 2018), (Verma and Kumar 2019), (Larasati, Rarasati and Sihombing 2020), in addition to (Conticelli 2020), who calls for identifying optimal values for these indicators. However, despite numerous attempts to this end, the alleged discrepancies in operationalizing these elements persist to this day.…”

“…Taking the local perspective into account necessitates less reliance on technocratic governance and better use of deliberative mechanisms that make compact areas more desirable to the public. This raises a point that a liveable and healthy compact city should ensure the access and quality of transportation facilities, open spaces, and commercial public facilities (Campos et al 2021; Kotulla et al 2019).…”

“…In the late 1980s, the incorporation of sustainability into urban planning theory further popularized the term, especially in developed countries. Great Britain, Australia, Japan, and other European countries were among the first to embrace this concept (Conticelli 2020; Jenks 2019; Stevenson and Gleeson 2018; Yoon 2020). By the turn of the century, the concept's influence had reached many parts of the world, including developing countries (Brown 2017; Jenks 2019; Rode 2018).…”

“…Some studies posit that these concepts are partially overlapping (Kain et al 2020; Lin 2018; Lobner et al 2021; Rode 2018; Stevenson and Gleeson 2018). In other instances, the terms are used interchangeably (Conticelli 2020; Gren et al 2019; Korur 2020). “City of Short Distances” has also been used synonymously (Denis 2018; Metre et al 2021; Stevenson and Thompson 2019).…”

“…It is used in European Commission documents (Rode 2018) and is prevalent in Germany and Poland (Hamiduddin 2017). Similarly, “consolidation” is a comparable term used in Australian literature (Conticelli 2020; Giddings and Rogerson 2021). As these related terms do not sufficiently map onto existing definitions of the compact city and focus research efforts, the scope of this review will be limited to studies that explicitly examine the compact city.…”