Environmental improvement to reduce urban vulnerability in irregular settlements

Abstract

The peripherals illegal settlements in Puebla, have common denominator to born in a situation of urban vulnerability, it means with a lack of infrastructure and basic services and on some occasions on land not suitable for urbanization. This is the case of the Cuitláhuac neighborhood where approximately 400 inhabitants live. The neighborhood only has electricity service, his high urban vulnerability becomes worst in the rainy season with the formation of gullies, flooding sites and soil erosion, affecting the mobility of the inhabitants. Authorities ignore these problems and not always included them in urban development plans. The objective of research is to look for environmental alternatives to reduce urban vulnerability in illegal settlements. The methodology is based on action research and the main techniques were: documentary review, physical and virtual field trips, virtual meetings and semi-directed interviews. A relevant conclusion is that green infrastructure is feasible and can be implemented in the short term and that it arouses much collaborative interest from the inhabitants both for its implementation and for its maintenance.