The city for refugees

Abstract

While waiting for situations of crises and disasters to pass, refugees stay at sites of transition that are assumed to exist temporarily. This assumption is often unfounded, as emergency situations may last for decades. Meanwhile, the refugee camps remain and develop social and economic functions comparable to urban space. This conflict that is developed between the permanent built landscape (the city) and the temporary political status of its population (refugeehood) is a global phenomenon.

A recent example is the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesvos. Established in 2015 for a capacity of 3000 people, the settlement today houses over 20 000 refugees and has a population density over twice as high as that of Manila, one of the densest cities on the planet. Since the Moria camp was intended to be transitory and temporary, the refugees continue to stay at a site where they neither want to stay nor are wanted. As the camp population continues to grow, food provisions and health services can’t keep up, theft and violence become common, and fatal casualties are being reported regularly.

This project intends to use urban design to establish an appropriate settlement suited for housing the refugee population of Lesvos. Through a discussion of the refugee space, a design proposal is developed to provide a life with dignity for everyone living in this 'Refugee City'.