The spaces of home : an examination of domestic space in squatter settlements

Abstract

Until recently it was assumed that dwellings within squatter areas were essentially minimal shelters and that the forms and spaces produced were largely a response to severe economic constraints with little or no opportunity for cultural expression. However, within the limitations of their situation, many squatter households are able to create meaningful spaces which respond to and reflect their cultural values. In addition, in many places such residents are experiencing a process of transformation from rural-based values, to urban values and it is believed that these changes will be reflected in the types of spaces produced as well as the way the dwellings are used. Central to this discussion is an understanding of the meaning of home, and how such meanings are created through the processes of settlement and consolidation of the dwelling. The paper consists of three main parts. The first will examine the theoretical literature on the meaning and use of space in domestic environments. The second will then test these ideas by analyzing space creation and space usage in specific squatter areas in two contrasting contexts, Turkey and Colombia, where the authors have collected detailed primary data. The third part continues with a dialectic analysis of the cases presented. The study concludes with some brief observations about the relevance of these ideas to contemporary debates concerning official responses to low-income settlements.