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Caught Between Spaces : Socio-Environmental Vulnerability in Formal and Informal Peri-Urban Bogotá and Soacha, Colombia

Valencia, Sandra LU (2016) In Lund Dissertations in Sustainability Science
Abstract
The world is rapidly urbanizing. To contribute to the understanding of the socio-environmental changes brought about by urban sprawl and densification, this thesis examines wellbeing and vulnerability in low-income peri-urban areas in and around Bogotá, Colombia. For that purpose, I develop a typology of peri-urban settlements that includes four main settlement classifications: agriculture-based, informal, formalized, and state-subsidized housing. Inhabitants of agriculture-based settlements, which includes a community of Muisca indigenous people, have become legally and physically marginalized and are the most negatively impacted by peri-urbanization, as their key resources, land and water, are increasingly degraded. Inhabitants of... (More)
The world is rapidly urbanizing. To contribute to the understanding of the socio-environmental changes brought about by urban sprawl and densification, this thesis examines wellbeing and vulnerability in low-income peri-urban areas in and around Bogotá, Colombia. For that purpose, I develop a typology of peri-urban settlements that includes four main settlement classifications: agriculture-based, informal, formalized, and state-subsidized housing. Inhabitants of agriculture-based settlements, which includes a community of Muisca indigenous people, have become legally and physically marginalized and are the most negatively impacted by peri-urbanization, as their key resources, land and water, are increasingly degraded. Inhabitants of informal settlements are often exposed to a variety of social and environmental stressors and face significant difficulties in accessing basic services, such as water and sanitation, while, at the same time, have grasped the opportunity to build new homes in the peri-urban landscape.
Both in the development of these settlements, and as a method to pressure the state, I show how collective action has been a central strategy for claiming access to basic services and formalization programs. In response, the state has increasingly recognized the rights of informal dwellers. This recognition has been realized through formalization policies, improved access to basic social and physical services, and the introduction of subsidized housing to counteract informality and housing deficits. However, some projects have been developed in areas exposed to environmental hazards, and are characterized by their deficient and low quality physical and social services. Further, I show that the speed and quality of formalization is contingent on institutional capacity, geography and social mobilization, yet another indication that peri-urban areas are complex areas full of contradictions and challenges, but also opportunities. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Världens städer växer i snabb takt. Denna avhandling undersöker välbefinnandet och sårbarheten hos befolkningen i stadsnära, eller periurbana, låginkomstområden i och runt Bogotá, Colombia, med målet att öka förståelsen för hur sociala och miljömässiga förutsättningar påverkas av stadsutbredning och förtätning.

För detta syfte har jag utvecklat en typologi för periurbana bosättningar som består av fyra olika bosättningsklassifikationer: jordbruksbaserade, informella, formaliserade, samt statligt subventionerade bostäder. Jag fann att invånarna i de jordbruksbaserade bosättningarna, som även innefattar en grupp från ursprungsbefolkningen Muisca, har blivit regelbundet marginaliserade och fått sina lagliga och markanknutna... (More)
Världens städer växer i snabb takt. Denna avhandling undersöker välbefinnandet och sårbarheten hos befolkningen i stadsnära, eller periurbana, låginkomstområden i och runt Bogotá, Colombia, med målet att öka förståelsen för hur sociala och miljömässiga förutsättningar påverkas av stadsutbredning och förtätning.

För detta syfte har jag utvecklat en typologi för periurbana bosättningar som består av fyra olika bosättningsklassifikationer: jordbruksbaserade, informella, formaliserade, samt statligt subventionerade bostäder. Jag fann att invånarna i de jordbruksbaserade bosättningarna, som även innefattar en grupp från ursprungsbefolkningen Muisca, har blivit regelbundet marginaliserade och fått sina lagliga och markanknutna rättigheter inskränkta. På grund av försämrad tillgång till sina viktigaste resurser, mark och vatten, har de därmed blivit mest negativt påverkade av urbaniseringen. Även invånare i informella bosättningar är ofta utsatta för sociala och miljömässiga stressfaktorer, inklusive svårigheter att få tillgång till grundläggande service som vatten och sanitet, medan de samtidigt har dragit nytta av möjligheten att bygga nya hem i det stadsnära landskapet.

Jag visar hur kollektiva åtgärder har fungerat som en central strategi för att hävda tillgång till grundläggande tjänster och formaliseringsåtgärder, både i utvecklingen av dessa bosättningar, och som en metod för att sätta press på lokala myndigheter. Som en reaktion på sådan kollektiv mobilisering har kommunerna Bogotá och Soacha i allt större utsträckning svarat med att tillgodose rättigheter för informella invånare. Detta erkännande har förverkligats genom policyer som syftar till formalisering av informella bosättningar, förbättrad tillgång till grundläggande tjänster som skola, sjukvård, vatten och sanitet, och införandet av subventionerade bostäder för att motverka informella bosättningar och bostadsbrist. Samtidigt har vissa statligt finansierade bostäder uppförts i områden med risk för naturolyckor och med bristfällig fysisk infrastruktur och tillgång till sociala tjänster. Min forskning visar även att takten och kvaliteten på formaliseringsprocessen till stor del beror på faktorer som institutionell kapacitet, geografiskt läge och graden av social mobilisering, vilket förstärker bilden av periurbana områden som komplexa områden, fulla av utmaningar, men också av möjligheter. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Professor David Simon, Mistra Urban Futures
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
peri-urban area, urban-rural interface, socio-environmental change, wellbeing, vulnerability, Colombia, Bogotá, Soacha, informality, formalization, political ecology, stadsnära, periurbana områden, periurbanisering, Colombia, formalisering, informell bosättning
in
Lund Dissertations in Sustainability Science
issue
13
pages
312 pages
publisher
Lund University
defense location
room Josephson Ostrom, Biskopsgatan 5, Lund
defense date
2016-06-01 13:15:00
ISBN
978-91-982201-0-0
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1ed39250-a1d9-49aa-86fb-865f24bf18d7
date added to LUP
2016-05-10 13:04:11
date last changed
2019-12-05 14:22:03
@phdthesis{1ed39250-a1d9-49aa-86fb-865f24bf18d7,
  abstract     = {{The world is rapidly urbanizing. To contribute to the understanding of the socio-environmental changes brought about by urban sprawl and densification, this thesis examines wellbeing and vulnerability in low-income peri-urban areas in and around Bogotá, Colombia. For that purpose, I develop a typology of peri-urban settlements that includes four main settlement classifications: agriculture-based, informal, formalized, and state-subsidized housing. Inhabitants of agriculture-based settlements, which includes a community of Muisca indigenous people, have become legally and physically marginalized and are the most negatively impacted by peri-urbanization, as their key resources, land and water, are increasingly degraded. Inhabitants of informal settlements are often exposed to a variety of social and environmental stressors and face significant difficulties in accessing basic services, such as water and sanitation, while, at the same time, have grasped the opportunity to build new homes in the peri-urban landscape.<br/>Both in the development of these settlements, and as a method to pressure the state, I show how collective action has been a central strategy for claiming access to basic services and formalization programs. In response, the state has increasingly recognized the rights of informal dwellers. This recognition has been realized through formalization policies, improved access to basic social and physical services, and the introduction of subsidized housing to counteract informality and housing deficits. However, some projects have been developed in areas exposed to environmental hazards, and are characterized by their deficient and low quality physical and social services. Further, I show that the speed and quality of formalization is contingent on institutional capacity, geography and social mobilization, yet another indication that peri-urban areas are complex areas full of contradictions and challenges, but also opportunities.}},
  author       = {{Valencia, Sandra}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-982201-0-0}},
  keywords     = {{peri-urban area; urban-rural interface; socio-environmental change; wellbeing; vulnerability; Colombia; Bogotá; Soacha; informality; formalization; political ecology; stadsnära; periurbana områden; periurbanisering; Colombia; formalisering; informell bosättning}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{13}},
  publisher    = {{Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund Dissertations in Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{Caught Between Spaces : Socio-Environmental Vulnerability in Formal and Informal Peri-Urban Bogotá and Soacha, Colombia}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/7631699/Sandra_Valencia_FINAL_for_webb.pdf}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}