Launch of urbaninform

This month, the IABR’s “Squat” team  launched “urbaninform”—a web-based network that collects architecture and urban design best practice projects for the informal city, and supports their realization. 

With one-third of the global urban population living in slum-like conditions, mostly in self-built and self-organized informal settlements, the phenomenon of the Informal City has become an integral part of the world’s cities. As the provision of proper housing, infrastructure, and public services represents a major challenge for urban planning, urbaninform is looking for innovative tools, strategies, and associations that demonstrate the potential of informal processes in urban developments.

Urbaninform has developed a new online format for the presentation of exemplary projects through “mini documentaries”—short presentations that help to make ideas accessible to local stakeholders as well as to potential sponsors and institutions.

Squatters, researchers, architects, city officials, NGOs, and other actors involved in the transformation process of the Informal City are now able to publish their projects and contribute to the ongoing discussion about the future of our cities. With urbaninform, microenvironments and their actors will become globally connected to a network for knowledge exchange and exemplary practice.

Urbaninform is initiated by Rainer Hehl and Jörg Stollmann, curators of  the exhibition “Squat - The Informal City under Construction” in the 4th International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR). It was designed by Luna Maurer and Marije ten Brink.

For more information, visit urbaninform.net