Detail of the Urban village concept |
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Plan for Port-au-Prince
Monday, January 24, 2011
Iron Market
Downtown Port-au-Prince |
Yesterday, I went with a posse of Architecture for Humanity volunteers to tour the Iron Market prior to it's public opening. We thought it would have been open by now, since it was commemorated on the anniversary of the earthquake by Bill Clinton himself, but there was still painting equipment here and there. It took us a few false starts before we were able to find the well-disguised entrance in between two booths. We had to wait until the Prince's Foundation and the Duany Plater-Zyberk planning firm joined us to begin the tour.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Baby Doc
Baby Doc Duvalier's arrival in Haiti yesterday after nearly 25 years of exile has shaken everybody up. We all have so many questions, perhaps some of them will be answered by Duvalier's press conference that is supposed to be today at the Hotel Karibe. UPDATE: Press conference was cancelled for nonsensical reasons. The three big questions:
Friday, January 14, 2011
Fonkoze
I'm sorry it took so long to get my last post out, I am just about to turn in my 4th (and nearly final) graduate application! As well, I have been furiously reading up on the work of Fonkoze, where I start next week.
The Importance of Property Rights
I believe explicit property rights are essential to the recovery of Haiti. One of the challenges organizations involved in rebuilding (like Architecture for Humanity) is simply ascertaining ownership of land. Gregg MacDonald, the lead coordinator for the UN Shelter cluster, has identified a lack of clear land title as one of primary delays in producing shelter for the internally displaced. In Port-au-Prince, there is little to no legally available land. The vast majority of open land around the city is owned by a few elite families who demand compensation. For individual properties, owners are unable to be located and proof of ownership is nonexistent.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Haiti-Dominican Republic Border
Over the winter break, I took the popular Caribe bus from Port-au-Prince to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The route illustrates much of the complexity of Haiti, its relation to its neighbor, and what it could have, should have been.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)