196,470 research outputs found
Analysis of the Systemic Arrangements of the Built Environment in the Rocinha Favela with the Integrated Modification Methodology’s Diagnostic Phase
No full textWith an extremely high level of complexity, urban structures and the built environment are ever-changing entities, in which transformation is a continuous process. Specific patterns of transformation characterize each specific context, and in different urban systems, similar transformation actions generate different reactions and transformation results. Consequently, to plan for any modification on a formal or informal urban system, it is fundamental to learn about that system’s structure. The IMM methodology focuses on the systemic arrangements of the built environment and proposes holistic procedures to understand the nature of the urban systems as entities based on the unique qualities that each context offers. This chapter presents the results of this specific diagnostic process. In the first phase, the built environment system is broken down into its subsystems, and the relationship between those parts is investigated (horizontal investigation). Later, the synergy between them is outlined and the structural attributes emerging from their symbiosis (vertical investigation) are examined. The synthesis of the subsystems results in structural attributes regarded in IMM as Key Categories. Key Categories are morphology-related emergents that shape and host the dynamic processes of the city. This chapter also provides some information on the challenging data gathering processes that PolimipaRarocinha faced to collect the necessary information to better understand the complex and dynamic nature of the favela from a systemic point of view, offering a comprehensive view of the structural attributes and their complex networks and targeting their measurable factors
The Integrated Modification Methodology
No full textAs the environmental ramifications of urban development have become clear, it is fundamental to investigate what practical methods should be implemented to tackle urban growth and environmental issues simultaneously. How should one integrate urbanization and the issue of saving natural resources? How could design strategies contribute to climate change mitigation and the reduction of emissions? Is urban morphology correlated with these issues? And eventually, how can the urban transformation be performed, retrofitted, and monitored in order to achieve a more sustainable result? A strictly sectorial approach could result in neglecting the mutual dependencies of these demands. Conversely, an integrated approach can help to sharpen a better understanding of the different performances of different urban configurations. Although many studies have been carried out on how cities’ forms are structured, scarce efforts have been done for the systemic understanding and evaluation of the urban morphology through quantitative metrics. More research is required in this direction in order to better describe the urban form characteristics and their impact on the performance of cities. The integrated modification methodology (IMM) is a procedure encompassing an open set of scientific techniques for morphologically analysing the built environment in a multiscale manner and evaluating its performance in the actual state or under specific design scenarios. The methodology is structured around a nonlinear phasing process aiming at delivering a systemic understanding of any given urban settlement, formulating the modification set-ups for improving its performance, and examining the modification strategies to transform that system. The basic assumption in IMM is the recognition of the built environment as a complex adaptive system. IMM has been developed by IMMdesignlab, a research laboratory based at Politecnico di Milano at the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC)
From Local Modifications in Selected Pilot Areas to System-Wide Improvements: Transformation Strategies and Retrofitting Procedures According to the Integrated Modification Methodology
No full textIn a complex adaptive system (CAS), minor changes can have a big, nonlinear impact on its performance. Based on that, the PolimiparaRocinha project is used to demonstrate how systemic local actions, integrated with the whole, can produce controlled chain reactions to improve performance at a wider scale. In fact, the presented local transformation actions not only change structurally the intervention zones, but also make tangible improvements in the performance of the whole Rocinha favela, seen as a CAS, even in parts that are not directly touched by the project. After explaining how the transformation strategy is defined on the basis of the Diagnostic phase of the IMM, the improvement actions are applied to some selected pilot areas of the favela. The Retrofitting phase is then presented, showing how it is possible, thanks to numeric indicators, to assess the advancement in the quality of life and environmental performances. The proposed modification reveals indeed the hidden links between the structure and performances of the system thanks to the use of a set of appropriate indicators. The local-based strategic plan adopted by the PolimiparaRocinha project, coordinating minimal and systemic modifications to improve the performances of the whole system, can then be replicated to other parts of the Rocinha favela and in other informal contexts, with the final goal of integrating them with the rest of their cities
The Rocinha Favela as a Paradigmatic Case Study of Informal Settlements in Large Cities: Current Situation and Past Slum-Upgrading Programmes
No full textLocated between two of the wealthiest neighbourhoods of Rio de Janeiro, on a surface of less than 2 km2, the Rocinha favela is considered the largest single slum in Brazil, with an unofficial population between 150,000 and 200,000 inhabitants. Its privileged position, dimension and characteristics, compared to the other circa 1000 favelas of Rio, make Rocinha a paradigmatic case of the socio-economic and environmental contradictions of the Brazilian mega-city, but a significant case study for any slum-upgrading programme. The Brazilian experience with slums upgrading is globally recognized, but it is still fragmented and needs to be improved. An overview of the main slum-upgrading policies and programmes carried out in Rio shows that the lack of appropriate participatory programmes and systemic approaches can hinder successful solutions
Architecture and Infrastracture as keys for urban planning; the case of Chisinau (Moldova).
No full textThe steady process of urbanization that is shaping our planet is having gradually increasing influence on communities, cultures and the local economy, modes of life and the patterns of behaviour of billions of people in the global economy and the environment and has revealed a direct relationship with climate change in progress. The large regional differences of these processes are however, united by the increasing need for primary non-renewable resources, settlement patterns by diffusive and, more generally, development models that pose serious doubts about overall sustainability in the long term. This essay (considering that the issues around the sustainability of contemporary patterns of settlement are the main theme for the disciplines involved in the project of the city) investigates a relationship of fundamental importance, namely that between urban form, infrastructure for mobility and sustainability of changes in order to demonstrate that: “In this context, the relationship between urban compactness and mobility is central to the debate” (Williams K. 2000)
Environmental Performance and Social Inclusion in Informal Settlements. A Favela Project Based on the IMM Integrated Modification Methodology
No full textThis book discusses how a scientific methodology can be used to support design decisions to transform and improve environmental performances of a very dense context lacking formal planning rules, showing the potential of a shift from occasional interventions to an integrated, multidisciplinary approach where systemic effects are correlated by nonlinear links (the final effect is larger than the sum of its parts). The topic is particularly significant since, by 2050, 75% of the world population will be urban, with 60% of it living in informal settlements. The rapid urbanization of last decades has contributed to increasing poverty, inequality and social exclusion conditions in slums and shantytowns surrounding large cities (between 5 and 10 million inhabitants) and megacities (10 million or more inhabitants) in Asia, Latin America and Africa. Most megacities are located in developing countries, and several large cities are projected to become megacities by 2030. In most instances, attempts to address the issues of informal settlements have been concentrated on specific problems, often on the basis of emergency situations, with a strong focus on social aspects. Physical transformation actions often lack a systemic assessment of their impact on the wider built environment, with a siloed approach that is reflected on the limited consideration of the profound inter-goal relationships of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The work presented in this book is based on a multidisciplinary and integrated design methodology named Integrated Modification Methodology (IMM), developed at the ABC Department of Politecnico di Milano, to support the upgrade process of the existing built environment and the improvement of its environmental performances. The methodology is based on a systemic and multidisciplinary design approach, encompassing, in an integrated way, several of the aspects defining the environmental performances of urban settlements
Digital Twin-Assisted Urban Resilience: A Data-Driven Framework for Sustainable Regeneration in Paranoá, Brasilia
No full textRapid urbanization has intensified the systemic inequities of resources and infrastructure
distribution in informal settlements, particularly in the Global South. Digital Twin
Modeling (DTM), as an effective data-driven representation, enables real-time analysis,
scenario simulation, and design optimization, making it a promising tool to support urban
resilience. This study introduces the Integrated Modification Methodology (IMM), developed
by Politecnico di Milano (Italy), to explore how DTM can be systematically structured
and transformed into an active instrument, linking theories with practical application.
Focusing on Paranoá (Brasília), a case study developed under the NBSouth project in
collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano and the University of Brasília, this research integrates
advanced spatial mapping with comprehensive key performance indicators (KPIs)
analysis to address developmental and environmental challenges during the regeneration
process. Key metrics—Green Space Diversity, Ecosystem Service Proximity, and Green
Space Continuity—were analyzed by a Geographic Information System (GIS) platform on
30 m by 30 m sampling grids. Additional KPIs across urban structural, environmental, and
mobility layers were calculated to support the decision-making process for strategic mapping.
This study contributes to theoretical advancements in DTM and broader discourse
on urban regeneration under climate stress, offering a systemic and practical approach for
multi-dimensional digitalization of urban structure and performance, supporting a more
adaptive, data-based, and transferable planning process in the Global South
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