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Authors: Muhammad Masahhood Arif, Kris Scheerlinck, Yves Schoonjans
Keywords: incremental housing, informal settlements, squatters, slums, affordable housing, resilient housing,, collective spaces
Abstract: The right to affordable and standard housing is right of every individual. While on one side it calls for huge government investment, on the other it greatly depends on the financial capability of the household to afford a decent housing unit. The provision of an affordable yet quality housing has met a great population concern in wake of the rapid urbanization and economic activities. The situation is more alarming in the context of developing countries of which Pakistan is a live example. According to UN statistics, half of the urban population i.e. 27 million people of Pakistan reside in informal settlement. Lahore, a Metropolitan city of the country is facing huge housing shortage and covering more than 300 urban informal settlements in forms of squatters and slums. While informal settlements satisfy the housing need of low-income population, they account for high physical, economic, social and environmental vulnerability. Consequently, such informal housing units are mostly seen emerging out as a self-build process, these lack technical expertise and resources which could make the overall living resilient and affordable. With incremental housing seen as a key solution to this, the research intends to explore the affordable, resilient and incremental needs of urban informal settlers in three case studies of Lahore at an intermediate level. The methodology will cover a detailed review of the national, international literature, socio-economic surveys, in-depth interviews, and followed by a qualitative research design approach. The idea is to formulate analysis and design-based strategies for improving the existing urban informal settlements on incremental basis. The research shall target a total of four outcomes (cost & time break up, qualitative collective spaces, financial models and supportive policy framework) in light of predefined research questions to develop a holistic framework which shall serve as a guided tool to cope the challenges of squatter and slums at national level