1 RESEARCH REPORT

APPROACHING UN-USED SPACES IN LOW INCOME AREAS TO

ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
AR 461

RESEARCH OUTLINE AND PROCESS

FOR THESIS DESIGN RESEARCH

WAJEEHA REHMAN AR-004

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Abstract:

The ever-growing population of Pakistani cities have rendered us hopeless when it comes to

addressing mental health issues especially among the poor, where the lack of awareness

leaves the masses helpless at the hands of their declining mental health. Social segregation

hinders the approach of poor communities to convey their needs for good environment that

would boost and help their mental well-being. Conventional architectural practice and

education has long been limited to serving a minority of a city’s population.

Revoking the architectural practices that would remove this marginalization that appears as a

barrier between the rich and the poor. Architecture as an empowerment tool for the poor,

socially responsive built spaces in the form of community centers that would uplift a

community to work together in unity with prime focuses on collective mental wellbeing of a

community. This would result in better engagement among the individuals developing

confidence to speak up regarding issues and problems. In cities like Karachi where the poor

are clustered together there is a scarcity of spaces for community gathering and interaction is

severe, it is urgent to resolve the problems and enhance the potentials for ensuring effective

and multipurpose uses of the community centres. This approach to address the poor

communities by spaces that will focus on their mental wellbeing, will in future produce self-

assertive and confident communities, empowered enough to be self-sufficient.

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Keywords:

low income groups

community development

community engagement

empowerment of the poor

adaptation to surrounding

mental well being

community network as means of connection

Assumptions:

1- A community consisting of low-income group will be open to opportunities of

community engagement and addressing their issues.

2- Architecture as a tool for empowerment of people, can address social segregation

and mental well being through space design.

3- People will talk about mental health issues openly.

4- People will be open to discussing their domestic issues with others.

5- The community under study will be open to the idea of support groups.
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INTRODUCTION

Community centers are seen around the world in various regions, functioning to their full

potential, promoting the ideas of healthy communities both physically and mentally. The

purpose of these community centers is to promote community engagement that is the

foundation of sustainable communities.

Community engagement fosters the transformative relationship and increased ownership

necessary to build sustainable communities of opportunity. Engagement brings meaning and

relevance to sustainability goals across a broad spectrum of people and it encourages local

innovations in sustainable development through creative problem solving. [ CITATION Dan14 \l

1033 ].

We’re social beings, and we are not meant to live in isolation. Community is critical for us to

thrive, especially for someone with mental illness who is already experiencing the common

symptoms of loneliness and isolation. Community provides many elements that are critical to

mental health, but here are three of the most beneficial aspects. [ CITATION Ste19 \l 1033 ]

COMMUNITY CENTRES AS SAFE OUTLETS

This reflects that even though community participation is beneficial but in low income areas,

which has been subjected to years of neglect and disinvestment, mistrust exists. Poverty

increases the risk of mental health problems and can be both a causal factor and a

consequence of mental ill health. Mental health is shaped by the wide-ranging characteristics

(including inequalities) of the social, economic and physical environments in which people

live. Successfully supporting the mental health and wellbeing of people living in poverty, and

reducing the number of people with mental health problems experiencing poverty, require

engagement with this complexity.[ CITATION Iri16 \l 1033 ].

For the people to overcome these insecurities, a safe outlet is required, this can take the shape
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of a community center where problems are addressed and issues are dealt with. And

eventually the communities come to realization that they are not alone, with other people like

them participating and coming together imparts a sense of empowerment and encouragement.

To overcome the insecurities the community centers are incorporated in the built fabric of

these areas to provide the residents with a safe place to come together and discuss upon the

issues collectively, it offers residents with multitudes of opportunities, the space provided is

diverse and inclusive hence can be utilized for many different activities to suit the needs of

people.

CASE STUDY OF DHAKA COMMUNITY CENTER:

Community centres for community development: A case study of Dhaka City Corporation,

the study reveals that The CCs in Bangladesh, particularly in Dhaka City, can contribute a lot

in the community development if they are properly utilized with adequate manpower,

maintenance and management. It is expected that the research will be useful for future

researches on community development in major cities of Bangladesh. . The community

centers will generate income by providing facilities for different age groups, leisure time

activities, training and workshop, disaster management operation, community development

initiatives by public participation, religious functions, adult education, and motivation and

awareness building programs. In this way, the use of CCs of DCC would be optimized for the

community development. [ CITATION Far08 \l 1033 ]

ARCHITECTURAL LANGUAGE FOR COMMUNITY CENTERS

A Case Study of Jordan

The aim of this thesis is to develop a vocabulary of principles to be used in the design of

future community centres in Jordan. Community centres provide the stage for bringing

members of the community together to meet and discuss community issues, and for
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increasing their sense of community spirit which advances social and economic development.

This thesis rethinks the present idea of a community centre taking into account the changing

social structure and culture, the regional climate and use of local materials.

Further analysis revealed that When architects are designing public buildings in a strongly

defined cultural context, it is particularly imperative to investigate the culture within which

they are building, to understand the needs of the people they are designing for, and to provide

a compatible architecture. If they impose an ill-suited foreign architecture on a culture, they

run the risk of alienating the users from the buildings themselves. On the other hand, if they

strictly adhere to the traditional architecture of the region, they would be passing up a unique

opportunity to develop a more progressive architecture that may better serve the people's

evolving needs. When the public building is intimately linked to the identity of its users, such

as a community centre is, it becomes even more important to be sensitive to its character

particularly if it is set in a low-income community, where people are more wary of new

elements in their midst. The unique potential of a community centre to bring together various

members of a community and strengthen their sense of mutual-ness, is something that the

architect must keep in mind when designing the space and developing the character of the

building.

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

Architecture as an empowerment tool for the poor, socially responsive built spaces in the

form of community centres that would uplift a community to work together in unity with

prime focuses on collective mental wellbeing of a community. Would this result in better

engagement among the individuals developing confidence to speak up regarding issues and

problems?
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ROLE OF COMMUNITY CENTERES

Community centres provide the stage for bringing members of the community together to

meet and discuss community issues, and for increasing their sense of community spirit which

advances social and economic development. [ CITATION Ali97 \l 1033 ]

The central goal for the development of community center in a low income area is to promote

civic engagement, which refers to active participation in activities oriented toward collective

action, care and development of others, civic engagement can help to overcome apathy and

alienation in a democratic society, as well as increase transparency and accountability of

government-funded development projects. Also, while people of low-income and limited

resources may be civically engaged, their limited resources and those of their communities

curtail their ability to be more engaged. A more normative conception of civic engagement

construes civic behaviour as activities oriented toward care, concern, and development of

others as well as societal decision-making and resource allocation. For developing countries

such as ours the need for uplifting the poor is excessive since In Pakistan, 24.3% of the

population lives below the national poverty line. And so these people don’t get any

recognition nor do they have the confidence to speak for themselves, so engaging the

communities to promote civic engagement can produce positive impact on the people of low

income areas.

The Corporation for National and Community Service and the National Conference on

Citizenship found that the states with greater civic participation have experienced lower

unemployment between 2006 and 2010 [ CITATION Sah12 \l 1033 ]

LOW-INCOME COMUNITIES AND THEIR UNDERLYING ISSUES

With 24.3% of people living below the national poverty line, many of them live in clustered

spaces and don’t have access to many resources.

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Individuals who experience poverty, particularly early in life or for an extended period, are at

risk of a host of adverse health and developmental outcomes through their life. Poverty in

childhood is associated with lower school achievement; worse cognitive, behavioural, and

attention-related outcomes; higher rates of delinquency, depressive and anxiety disorders; and

higher rates of almost every psychiatric disorder in adulthood. Poverty in adulthood is linked

to depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, psychological distress, and suicide. Poverty affects

mental health through an array of social and biological mechanisms acting at multiple levels,

including individuals, families, local communities, and nations. [ CITATION Kev18 \l 1033 ].

to combat these issues prevalent in low income communities, civic engagement plays a key

role, as its role is to apprehend the confidence of people and present them as a united front.

This will result in a self-sufficient community, one that is able to voice its issues and deals

with them.

ARCHITECTURE AS AN EMPOWERMENT TOOL:

It might seem a paradox that just today, in a globalized society, dominated, would say some

specialists, by the spectacle architecture, this research aims at the conceptualization of the

community architecture and more, the formulation of some ideas with applicability for

stimulating community spirit in and through architecture. The true values of a community

won’t lose their authenticity rather will be differently expressed

Architecture, in its concreteness, will not ever lose its value if is designed for and together

with the people

Conventional architecture practices have long been limited to serving a minority of world

population. Integrating these practices into the design of less developed areas, can prove to be

beneficial for the community and can also ignite the ideas of unity among the residents. This

research is interested in extending the architectural boundaries in addressing emergence and

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growth of informal settlements and the role of community architecture in uplifting those areas

which represent the majority of the built environment in most developing countries. This calls

for – the architecture of empowerment, one that aims at lifting the poor communities and

eventually bringing them at par with the successful communities. Architecture as a tool for

empowerment for the poor urban communities through the development of socially

responsive community centers one that would cater to the needs of people, but the bigger

question is “What type of community centre does this area need?”. Only a thorough analysis

of area can reveal

Although many had emphasized towards the poor, but often times spaces developed go to

waste when the user activity there declines. The informal development of these areas poses

the greatest challenge, since any new development must be in such a way as to not hinder the

existing topography of area.

the realization that community center can bring with them a lot of opportunities and ways to

improve the collective thinking of people is very important. Community engagement is not

just a set of activities and methods confines to a particular project, policy or process, rather it

is a way of communication, decision making and governance that gives people of the

community power to own the change they want to see.

COMMUNITY CENTER AS A SAFE SPACE

Many times, the cultural restrictions and social norms force the people to not be vocal of their

problems. And often in poor households’ mental illnesses are not acknowledged and many

times people suffering from them remain undiagnosed, similarly the victims of domestic

abuse don’t have a safe space to talk about their issues. Here the role of community centers

becomes even more relevant. It’s not only limited to promoting civic engagement rather it’s a

safe haven for all the people of community. In Pakistan people are not aware with the idea of

support groups, and personally I believe making it common especially among the poor can
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reduce mental health issues. Since it provides people with a safe space to vent and to

overcome their fear and helps them deal with problems. Since in these groups people having

same issues reunite and talk through their problems.

Many people find support groups a helpful tool to aid recovery. By sharing your experiences

in a safe and confidential setting, you gain hope and develop supportive relationships. this

feeling of uniting with fellow members of the community can itself be very relieving, since

joint struggle can often make things easier for both parties.

A space with community valences can be that between blocks where children play and

parents and grandparents are meeting and chatting. Such a space can be considered with

community value only when is properly arranged, when community approaches it, assumes

it, and there fore take care of it. Otherwise, remains only a space of gregarious

manifestations. Community architecture manifests not only in independent architecture

objects, also can take the shape of an embedded space whose primarily aim is another.

[ CITATION Mih15 \l 1033 ]

COMMUNITY CENTER AS AN APPROACH TO RESPONSIVE DESIGN:

The most important question that arises from literature review, and studying through various
case studies is, what kind of a community center does the area needs?

What would a community centre be used for?

What amenities are needed in this community centre?

According to Xu, Gao, and Yan (2005), “Community services are widely accepted as

effective solutions to social and economic problems. Furthermore, the community centre has

become the backbone of service delivery in the community”

a responsive design approach best fits the context of Karachi, where the low-income

communities thrive on vernacular means of constructions and there are many incremental
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housing communities as well. And so the more sustainable approach would be a contextually

responsive design.

since this research is ongoing and so a public survey would clearly state the demands of

people and their vision for a community center. A similar approach was mentioned in an

article the findings of which revealed that “the responsive design approach used for this

project has provided a framework for the type of community centre that would best fit

Malad’s needs. The findings section shows many examples and ideas of what this particular

community wants. It demonstrates that a responsive design approach can be useful and

tailored to the needs of the community and organization conducting the research. The

participants in this research did indeed know what they want and need in a community centre.

They described not only what they would like in a future building, but also some of the

various issues surrounding the usage of a community centre.” [ CITATION She12 \l 1033 ]

CONCLUSION

The literature review of the case studies have shown that indeed community centers act as

tool for community uplifting, but it should also be noted that variations exists in type and

design of community centers. The successful design is the one that caters to the needs of

locals and also implies the sustainable building material and if community engagement is

involved since the beginning stage the outcome has positive impact on the community.

Community architecture means the built environment that offers itself for community, use or

stimulates the community participation, in a profound social, inclusive sense. It means

permanent and temporary amenities both at urbanistic level- public spaces, squares, fairs and

architecture objects. To target the low-income communities, in depth analysis of their social

structure and culture is required only than a successful design for a community center can be

achieved. Since the most important aspect of any community center is that active

participation by the residents.

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RESEARCH DESIGN PLAN

The research action plan will amalgamate the following points to offer to me an insight on

how to move forward with my research process

Qualitative Research:

The research for my thesis topic will be based on qualitative research, as the information

gathered will be through observation, open ended questionnaires, interviews. By observing a

targeted group, reading through topic related literature, content analysis of the textual

material. Focusing on an area of research that will answer questions related to thesis topic

based on qualitative research.

Identifying Target Groups and Subsequent Survey Strategies

The research would be based around specific communities, mostly those that encompass low

income groups, and the connection of those communities with nearby areas. This to observe

the level of segregation mostly encountered by the poor. The target group will be identified

through research of the low-income communities in Karachi, and then on the basis of that

research one would be selected. The book working with communities by Arif Hassan can

offer insight on understanding community dynamics

The survey strategy would focus on the response of a community to the aspects of individual

involvement relating to community development. The united role play of a community in

addressing mental health issues.

List of Important Questions to Different Target Group

The questions like, how well do the low-income communities know about community

spaces? Are they open to ideas of shared communal spaces?

Do they believe in addressing mental issues or talking about them with others?
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How socially segregated they feel in comparison to the city?

Does the community comes together as one whole on certain issues?

Does the youth of the community feels heard or seen?

Can architecture improve things for them?

Places To Visit:

Ideally this topic would involve visiting no. of different areas and communicating with

diverse communities, to better understand the social structure of the communities. In the

context of Karachi, many times a community is an amalgamation of different sects and so the

whole spatial configuration as well as social habits differ in a small square foot of area.

Case Studies:

The case studies I’ve studied include

Community Centres for Community Development: A Case Study of Dhaka City

This study focuses on providing various facilities to the communities through the design of a

community center, as they facilitate the social interactions among people and promote

building community bondage and thus contributing community development in urban areas.

The areas in study included three places in the city of Dhaka and their effect on the

subsequent community.

Public space and its role for segregation, identity and everyday life: A case study of

Östbergahöjden and its square

This case study explores Östbergahöjden , a small public square tucked away in Stockholm

city, it further Analyses the relationship between the built environment and

segregation/integration, everyday life and identity in the context of modernist urban planning.
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That sometimes-public spaces can act as a catalyst in promoting social segregation mostly at

the faults of people.

Scale of Documentation:

This will include in depth literature review keeping in mind the local context that is Karachi

in this case. The reasons that has led to the isolation of low-income groups.

City level documentation through books and articles from the local newspaper, that will lead

to a specific area that I would focus on and will study its attributes in detail. The comparison

of two contrasting areas to compare the social structures existing in the city. This will help in

understanding the social segregation that takes place with in the city. These two levels of

documentation will help me better understand my perspective on the selected topic.

Expected outcome:

The research will allow me to contribute, to developing the knowledge in this chosen topic.

Through extensive literature review, I’ll be able to understand the concept of community

architecture better. How the various areas perceive this knowledge of community can only be

understood through contact with the people. The comparative analysis and documentation of

two communities, low income and high income will define the tools needed to address social

segregation. The comprehensive understanding of a low-income area will help reveal the

social structure of communities, and how do they function collectively. Many times, religious

differences in a community can cause division.

The necessary knowledge required to holistically approach the community center design

requires a prerequisite understanding of that particular area. To recognize the needs of

people, interviews with the residents are important as it can reveal many aspects from the

point of view of the residents.

This research will help in understanding that it is possible at the beginning stage to find out
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and create the type of community centre that would best fit the needs of the community it is

intended for. It also shows the need for more studies to be done in the area of responsive

design and its impact.

The research will equip me with tools that can stimulate community participation and thus

will prove useful for the proposed design. This approach to address the poor communities by

spaces that will focus on their mental wellbeing, will in future produce self-assertive and

confident communities. The design approach will begin with a community center, it will

implement the local tools and sustainable design measures to ensure its stability and

sustenance. The language of vernacular architecture will be perceived for the community

center as it will be the reflection of people’s culture and their community.

This research will help the masses to understand the importance of addressing such issues. In

the context of Karachi imparting confidence and hope among the low-income communities

through addressing the mental well being needs can prove to be beneficial.
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Bibliography

Ali, D. O. (1997). Building community in low-income areas : designing a new architectural language
for community centers in Jordan. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Amanda Moore McBride, M. S. (2004). Civic Engagement among Low-Income and Low-Wealth
Families:.

Danielle Bergstrom, K. R. (2014). The Sustainable Communities Initiative: The Community

Engagement Guide for Sustainable Communities. Journal of Affordable Housing &
Community Development Law,.

Elliott, I. (2016). Poverty and Mental Health:. A review to inform the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s
Anti-Poverty Strategy .

Gilbert, S. (2019, november 18). The Importance of Community and Mental Health. Retrieved from
nami.org: https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/November-2019/The-Importance-of-
Community-and-Mental-Health#:~:text=Mental%20health%20heavily%20influences
%20our,finding%20a%20sense%20of%20community.

Grigorescu, M. Z. (2015). A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE CONCEPT -FROM

BELIEVING TO REALITY.

Kevin M. Simon, M. M. (2018, june 29). Addressing Poverty and Mental Illness. Retrieved from
psychiatric times : https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/addressing-poverty-and-mental-
illness

Nath, S. (2012). Civic Engagement in Low Income and Minority. Undergraduate Economic Review:
Vol. 9:.

Parvin, F. Y. (2008). Community centres for community development: A case study of Dhaka City
Corporation. Jahangirnagar Planning Review.

Tubbs, S. (2012). Designing A Complete Community Center:Responsive Design in a Rural Setting.

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ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ali, D. O. (1997). Building community in low-income areas : designing a new architectural language

for community centers in. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Jordan Technology

This thesis research article was helpful in pointing out  vocabulary of principles to be used in

the design of future community centers in different neighbourhoods. It was able to pin out the

importance of local means of construction and design strategies to cope with the local

environment of area.

Amanda Moore McBride, M. S. (2004). Civic Engagement among Low-Income and Low-Wealth

Families:.

The article focused on the importance of civic engagement among the low income

communities and how it can be used as tool for empowering them and improving their

existing conditions by portraying them as a united front. The research was able to find civic

engagement across a range of behaviours, e.g., volunteering through religious organizations,

neighbouring, involvement in children’s activities, and contributing.

Parvin, F. Y. (2008). Community centres for community development: A case study of Dhaka City

Corporation. Jahangirnagar Planning Review.

This case study of Dhaka city explains the importance of integrating community centers

especially in developing countries, among various facilities community centre is one of the

prime civic facilities aiming to facilitate community interactions, building community

bondage and thus contributing community development in urban areas.

Grigorescu, M. Z. (2015). A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE CONCEPT -FROM

BELIEVING TO REALITY.
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The article explains the concept of community architecture and its role in defining the urban

developments for poor. The article shows that today, the architect must provide

integrative teamwork and interdisciplinary spirit skills, the integrative approach being a

sine qua non condition for the architecture of the actual communities. This translates

into extensive multi-interdisciplinary documentation, because the community issue is

approached by specialists from various fields: sociology, anthropology, psychology,

philosophy, medicine, gerontology, theology, architecture and urbanism, communication

and economy