LifeLines - Valparaiso
Year
Location
Status
Advisors
2022
Valparaíso, Chile
Research
Felipe Vera, Soledad Patiño
From the continental scale to the city scale, there are issues of dualities between the haves and the have-nots through different lenses. In terms of access to water, our analysis visualizes disparities that will be exacerbated in the near future with climate change. In Valparaiso, this translates into issues of lack of access to reliable water sources, specifically in the campamentos which are typically situated in the high areas of the city where the water network hasn’t reached, increasing drought periods as well that result in constant fires that threaten both the campamentos and the formal city constantly.
Campamentos in Valparaiso are under constant threat of fire. Many have settled around ravines with steep slopes and fire-prone vegetation, they have decided to situate themselves in these areas because of their proximity to the city on which they rely. Because of their topography and location, they lack access to both the water and transportation network. This causes two things: first, the settlements end up having unreliable water sources and storage systems that at times can’t reach them through the steep and unpaved informal roads. Second, in the event of a fire firetrucks have a hard time accessing the area to fight the fire when it is still manageable.
These problems are immediate and there are not enough resources or time to deal with them. Therefore, this project proposes a minimal significant intervention to deal with these issues: the LifeLines. One of the lines looks at decreasing vulnerability in the area, providing access for water and emergency vehicles, from this access road water and social infrastructure will eventually be able to tether. The other line works by decreasing the threat of fire, with a water retention system that entertains the water in the surrounding area, slowing it down and infiltrating it into the terrain, increasing the humidity in the campamento.