Reimagining the Future of Urban Slums

Rapid urbanization in Iraq, as in many other developing countries, has significantly widened socio-economic gaps, pushing thousands of people each year to migrate to major cities in search of better living opportunities and improved quality of life. Many of these newcomers settle on the outskirts of affluent urban areas, where they provide essential services to nearby communities but end up living in informal settlements due to financial constraints and lack of affordable housing.

Currently, over 4 million Iraqis reside in such neighborhoods, which are often deprived of basic services such as clean water, sanitation, electricity, and adequate healthcare, while also placing an increasing strain on urban infrastructure and municipal resources.

This project addresses these challenges by identifying “boundaries”, both physical, including roads, utilities, and architectural façades, and symbolic, such as social stigmas and exclusionary practices, as the core problems that isolate these communities, effectively transforming them into “cities within cities.”

The primary aim of this project is to study urban slums and empower residents through sustainable architecture and urban design, fostering inclusive community growth and bridging socio-economic divides. It

emphasizes incremental, in-place interventions that improve living conditions without necessitating relocation.

Informal settlements are not unique to Iraq; globally, they reflect deeper social, economic, and planning deficiencies. Conventional approaches like demolition and relocation fail to address these root causes, are costly, disruptive, and often rejected by residents.

Therefore, the project proposes a different vision for developing informal settlements by socially and economically empowering the community through architecture and urban design, providing them with basic needs, blurring the boundaries between slums and their surroundings, and gradually redeveloping the area without high-cost, large-scale urban interventions. This is achieved by involving the residents in the development process rather than excluding them

Why this project should be recognised or selected as a winner (250 words max):

I believe this project should win because it addresses the escalation of the informal housing crisis in Iraq, where slum populations have reached four million, making solutions essential. The project presents a thorough study of informal settlements and demonstrates that slums are not the problem themselves, but a symptom of deeper social, economic, and planning deficiencies. Current approaches, such as demolition and relocating residents, only provide temporary solutions, and the problem will recur if root causes like poverty, housing shortage, and social

disconnection are not addressed. This project proposes a different, transformative vision for developing informal settlements by socially and economically empowering communities through architecture and urban design. It provides residents with basic needs, blurs the boundaries between slums and their surroundings, and gradually redevelops areas without high-cost, large-scale interventions. Crucially, residents are involved in the development process rather than excluded. Furthermore, the project presents a new approach to constructing new housing units and rehabilitating existing homes in ways that align with residents’ needs and financial capacities. Housing in these areas must be low-cost, sustainable, and responsive to both social and individual needs. By improving construction materials to be more durable and environmentally friendly, the project ensures a better living environment, combining practicality, sustainability, and social empowerment.