Hydrosocial Dynamics: Regenerative Interventions in Neighborhood 20, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

The thesis addresses the hydrological and social injustices faced in Neighborhood 20, one of the largest and oldest informal settlements in Buenos Aires, Argentina, by designing a network of community spaces. It investigates the underlying factors contributing to this vulnerable landscape's emergence and proposes redefining public spaces as a catalyst for ecological urban renewal to tackle flooding and heat island effects. The methodology engages with the various publics to implement a series of artifacts to collect rainwater and mitigate flooding during large storms. The accumulated surplus water will be used to promote community programs and develop urban forestry to mitigate the heat island effect. The project aims to reflect on landscape architecture as a political and social act capable of transforming reality in vulnerable environments through bottom-up processes, contributing to the field by demonstrating the potential of community-driven ecological interventions in informal settlements.