Abstract
A vertical slum is defined as a socially vulnerable community in a building, with serious problems of functionality, safety and habitability. It is related to an important level of physical degradation, and a precarious socioeconomic situation of its occupants. Their inability to create a real community for proper and mandatory maintenance increases the physical deterioration of the building. The abandonment of the original owners of the houses can cause a system of illegal occupation and illegal activities, and vice versa. In many cases, the new occupants are primarily interested in maintaining the building in a state of precariousness in order to avoid any attempt of renovation by administrations. These security and habitability problems often extend outside the building and they affect a whole community of neighbours within the neighbourhood who feel threatened and insecure, causing their rejection and a strong social segregation in the area. This article wants to show some of the results from a research work developed on a case study of vertical slum in the city of Malaga, in Spain. In this context of marginality previously described, the research project explores different alternatives for the renovation of a building, its vulnerable community and the neighbourhood in which it is inserted. The project establishes four major objectives: (a) a physical renovation of the building, (b) social transformation in a disadvantaged environment, (c) functional evolution-from a residential model to a new hybrid model with a mixed supply of social services, and (d) the incorporation of new parameters of environmental sustainability that improve the energetic behaviour of the building (transforming it into a building of almost zero consumption).The research closes with a series of strategies and results for the case study. However, the main contribution of the work is related to the research methodology that has been developed. This is structured according to the four principles of integrated urban renovation, based on a physical, social, economic and environmental perspective. This methodology and results have been explained so that they can be transferred to other areas and experience of urban recycling in vulnerable social environments.
Highlights
After almost a decade of economic recession in the international sphere, and with profound consequences in the Spanish economy and society, the need for extensive growth of cities has been questioned
Phases and discussion 4.1 Preliminary studies: urban, architectural and social analysis the study focuses on a specific building, it is necessary to study the needs of the environment in which it locates, both urban and social demands to offer a series of services that improve the quality of the neighborhood
A series of sustainability indicators were used and adapted from the analytical approaches of the project "Eco city and its manual for the design of eco-cities in Europe" [11] and the design criteria for sustainable residential areas of Lopez de Lucio [12]. These urban studies carry out a diagnosis in which it is highlighted a low quality of the existing public space, a lack of relationships of neighbors, the need to reduce motorized traffic and to promote pedestrian areas in the neighborhood
Summary
After almost a decade of economic recession in the international sphere, and with profound consequences in the Spanish economy and society, the need for extensive growth of cities has been questioned. Spain has one of the largest housing estates among all the countries of northern Europe, as shown by Rodríguez Alonso [1]. Only 70% of the homes are occupied and one third of the houses are underutilized. The intense construction of the last years before the crisis, the creation of infrastructures and the excessive growth of cities has led to consume much more land than it is necessary in our country. Reflection on models for the cities is absolutely necessary. It is necessary to attend to areas with physical problems (inadequate architectural types, poor technical equipment, physical deterioration), urban problems (isolation of slums, functional deficiencies, degradation of public space and the urban landscape), and those related with heritage and social conditions (educational disadvantages, segregation, insecurity and other conflicts) [2]
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