NE

W S

ET

TLE

ME

NT

S

Regardless of the efforts from the Municipality of Mejicanos, who indicate the high risks in these areas, on the other side of the valley is used to develop new settlements with gated communities.

INC

EN

TIV

ES

In any panoramic view in Mejicanos a couple of buildings stick out because of the typology. For example a church and an elementary school initiated by the Spanish Embassy and run by Catholic, Mexican nuns.

One of the incentives we investigated was a settlement in Cuscatancingo initiated by local NGO Procomes. With capacity building they constructed two rows of 16 houses, in total 32, for families which were living in high risk zones in Mejicanos.

NGO

ALA

RM

SY

ST

EM

‘Sistema de alerta temprana’ is one of the most important incentives in the communities of sector Montreal, Mejicanos. The collaboration between local and international NGOs and the Munipality of Mejicanos made it possible to construct safe community houses and evacuation routes.

NGO

DW

ELL

ING

TY

PO

LOG

IES

Closing off the plot to the street is a repetitive phenomenon. The barb wire and fences constructed with a diversity of materials indicate the (social) security issues what these areas are known for. Overall, the general typology has the private zone located at the end of the house, with sanitation and washing areas situated outside while the (semi)public zone is located in the front.

The main road that connects all the communities with the center of Mejicanos and the city San Salvador is in contrary to the other roads very accessible for vehicles. The shops here are more open to the street and let the products (mainly water, gas and food) be delivered to them directly. This road is a one way street and has a continuous flow of (micro)buses passing by, which most residents use. Sector Montreal is notorious and in general taxis refuse to go inside the area.

There is a system for waste removal; the garbage truck comes by 2 to 3 times a week on the main road. Important factor is that people have to overcome difficult passages to drop it off and the dogs in the streets are constantly going through the trash. Result of this are piles of garbage on the hills and trash hung up on electric poles. In Cuscatancingo they call the Municipality when the pile gets to big to come and pick it up.

“LO

TIF

ICA

TIO

N”

There are numerous stories about the landownership in sector Montreal. Areas owned by private untraceable stakeholders obstruct development. Residents have contracts and receipts but no legal documentation or rights to their homes. In another situation squatters built an informal settlement in a deserted area.

DIS

TR

UB

UT

ION

During a GPS mapping of economic activities we came to the conclusion that little to none profit is being made in the shops. Families with little shops located on a lower level travel to the local market or further for their inventory. These small businesses are integrated in the front of their houses and fill in an important role of distributing basic products and goods within the community.

The principal road is connected with many ‘pasajes’ [passages/streets] which have to be comprehended as very steep and sometimes very narrow pathways going up and down to different communities and dwellings. There’s a large diversity of materials used and an absence of safety installations. Results: very dangerous and poorly/not accessible situations, for elderly and young children.

yppyyy d

it

The social insecurity has a great influence on the ‘fencing’ of plots. At the same time the interventions of the local Municipality and NGOs in the infrastructure; e.g. gutters, decreases the accessibility to the entrance even more.

ffririirii

stoplpofogcine

ve

To map the connectivity we put the emphasis on the overall network of infrastructure; the accessibility for the residents by means of transportation. Also, the relation of dwelling to street and the psychical and non-psychical presence of activities in public space related to this network, analyzed with tools like Space Syntax and GPS.

ONNECTIVITYONNNN YOO TYC TOOri aama rm eTo ve ee e oa neeeca v rc tut u ;

A llde n td ab e dwdwAAsb c rc

Ge rp

woweee

To map the connectiaccessibility for the residenstreet and the psycthis network, a

CONNECTIV

network,

reside

CECll network of infrastr

Also, the relation of ivities in public space related to

ectivity we put the emphasis on the overae residents by means of transportation.

psychical and non-psychical presence of acs network, analyzed with tools like Space Syntax and GPS.

VITYput the emphasis on the overall network of in

ts by means of transportation. Also, the relatioctivities in public

GPublic

onbb ic

tructure; the f dwelling to ce related to l

ll

d to

re

V Yty we

esiden

YN EE TOpTo a wt

bhT stshe sp ttn

ldee tee n elll

espacbl elaeb eetie

wetnh n

TONNwe nema y

ib A og toingted

Sit

wo

The analysis with Space Syntax indicates that the inter visibility in Sector Montreal is low due to the narrow ‘pasajes’ and closed off private plots. The extreme variables in this geographical context obstruct even more social control by sight. On the principal road we find some higher results for inter visibility. The road functions as the connection to and from the sector and has the best local and global integration. Most shops and spatial activities can be found here. Although it is the best integrated street it is still the only connecting road in Sector Montreal. At the very end of the principal road these characteristics; prevailing connection and a higher value inter visibility, provide the possibility for the present gang to control the neighborhood.

Montreal is notorious and with the single road is secluded while having a decent connectivity within

the sector. The newest expansion has the same characteristics; even more secluded while locally

strong connected and is now in control of the gangs.

NOTIF

ICATIO

NTI

NFIC

ATIO

SNETmeasures rainfall and detects emergency

Municipalitycommunication with cellphones and walky-talkies

Communitiescommunication with community leadersomCCCC

mCCCCC

mmC

mCCCooooo

c caaa ioionn wwmm

wmmm

ttm

thhmm

cucccuoooooommmmmmm

co

The community leaders form ‘intercomunal’ and gather every Friday in the community houses to address current issues.

Out of the results of one of the surveys we came to conclude that a large amount of the residents is not aware of this system.

Conocimiento de systema alarma

70%

60%

FincaArgentina

OON

OOOYE

SE

50%

BuenosAires

YYSSSSESYES

YES

YES

YO

NO

NO

NO

NO

N

50%

40%

Iberia

YES

YES

YS

YN

ON

ON

Civil Protection is a governmental organ that is in charge of notifying the Municipality in case of an alert with SNET (National Service for Territorial Studies). The Municipality focuses on improving the infrastructure in sector Montreal and improved the accessibility of the community house with an evacuation route.

ALARM SYSTEMTM SAA MMMRRL RL MA MM EYSLA SYALARM SYYSTEMSTYSTEMEMESLAA S TSA SMA MM A AALALA

The outskirts on the north side of the city, are situated on steep hills, like Sector Montreal, or close to canyons on planes of ‘Tierra Blanca’ (white soil). Especially in the rainy season, which runs from June until November, the risk instigated by heavy rain falls grows. The big amount of water itself and the erosion caused by the water instigates landslides and floods that take down the precarious dwellings and the soil around it. Adjacent the continuous tremors (little earthquakes) in this area increase the risk even more.

OPAMSS is an organization that was founded as a response on the 1986 earthquake and focuses mainly on transferring knowledge and providing technical advice, with risk-maps, rules and regulations for density. They are independent, also meaning that provide for themselves, often accepting proposal even though it is not recommended, like the settlement on the other side of the valley in Mejicanos.

The Municipality has very limited financial resources for the entire area. Their leftist perspective also results in distributing the aid as much as possible: focusing on the infrastructure. There are houses on the verge of collapsing, or partially already destroyed, currently ‘hoping’ to survive next rainy season.

A local NGO called Procomes realized the possibilities in international collaborations and their main goal is to raise awareness and build capacity. The form a important link in the layers of organization for sector Montreal.

Protection walls highly prefered as incentive in on of our workshops with the intercommunal of sector Montreal.

MoMMo

nddnndnndnddndos

reeass possssibbl

inn dissttribbbeirr r lleeeeeeftisstt

There are numerous stories about illegal landownership in sector Montreal. Areas owned by private, sometime untraceable, stakeholders that obstruct further development. Residents have contracts and receipts but no legal documentation or rights to their homes. This land cheating is most definitely happening in El Salvador and the current rules and regulations cannot cope with this.There is no law or system regarding the vacant spaces and no land taxes. Chinchilla (OPAMSS) gave an example of (cultural) conception about land and property: if people occupy (vacant) space for over 20 years and they can prove somehow that they lived there for the entire time, they receive the legal rights for ownership of that space [which is almost impossible]. There is a centralized administration institution CNR that keeps all data about property.

AORGANIZATIOTIONA

Sector Montreal benefits from organized communities, a board of community leaders (intercomunal) that together

with the social promoter have a platform to address urgent issues. This way of organization leads to a more

efficient communication between stakeholders. For example local NGO Fundasal is now focusing on

sanitation networks in certain areas.

Procomes and the community hired a lawyer to legalize their land rights. Every family pays 16-25 dollars per person for the expenses. There is a good hope the process will be finished by the end of this year.

In these fixed typologies we observed a clear influence of the traditional way of dwelling; the origin. The residents keep chickens, small commerce and paint their façade and public space. Every house is expanded with any accessible material, which proofs the urge for adaption.

Within the program of constructing typologies within the budget, Procomes includes some of the basic services; water and sanitation, infrastructure, disaster risk reduction but could not include electricity. This is illegally tabbed from the network. The electricity company put poles in the area where houses ‘appear’ or are being constructed. The community is now negotiating with the Municipality in order to get legal electricity with the already established network.

MIT

IGAT

ION

Ne

Ne

Ne

Ne

Ne

Ne

Nee

Ne

NNNNNigiggigigigggggg

hbbbhbbhbhbhbhhorororororoo

sssFaFaFaFaFaFaFaFaFaFaFaFF

mi

mi

mi

mi

mi

mi

mi

mii

mi

mmmmylylylyylylylylylylyy

Wh

Wh

Wh

Wh

Wh

Wh

Wh

Wh

Whhhh

WWWatatatatatatatatttatatta

d d dd ddd dddo o oo o ooooo

yoyoyoyoyoyoyooooyyuu u uuuu

mi

mi

mi

mi

mii

mi

mi

mmsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

tt tt tt thehehehehehehehehehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

m m mmmmmmsosososososooooot?

TrTrTrTrTrTrTTTeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

sssssss

27 %

27 %

14 %

Whh

Wh

Wh

Wh

Wh

Wh

Wh

Wh

Wh

WWWWWttatatatatatattataa iii ii is

s ssthththhhtt

e e eeeem

om

om

om

om

om

ooooom

ooooooommmm

stststtstss i ii iim

pm

pm

ppppm

pm

pm

pm

pm

ppm

oroooororororooororooooroororororeveveveveveeeeeeveeeevevevevevevvvvvvvvvv

????????d?d???d?d??d?d?d?d?d?dddddd

Ba

Ba

Ba

Ba

Ba

Ba

Ba

Ba

Ba

Ba

Baaas

isiisisisisisisisissccccc c cccccc

Se

SSe

Se

Se

Se

See

See

Se

SSSSvrvrvrvvrvvrvrvrvriciciciciciciccicicci

esesesessesesesesesessesseR

eR

eR

eR

eR

eR

eR

eR

eRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

duduuuduuduuuduuduudcececececeeceecececeecccc

d d dd d ddddddddR

iR

iR

iR

iR

iR

iR

iR

iRRRR

skskskskskskskskkskssss

LaLaLaLaaLLaaLLLndndndndndd

rr rrigigigggigggg

hthththhhssss

Qu

Qu

Qu

Qu

Qu

Qu

Qu

Qu

Qu

Qu

QQQalalalalalalallaaa

itititittititititititititiyyy y y yyyyyyyyyofofofofofofofofofofofofoo

ddd d d d d ddd dddw

ew

ew

eew

ew

ew

ew

ew

ewwwwwww

lllllllllinininininnnini

ggggg

Co

Co

Co

Co

Co

Co

Co

Co

Coo

Co

Co

CCCCCCnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

ecececccecitititiititiitit

iiviiviviviviivttytytytytttyt

000000500050%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

36366363636363663 %% %%%%%%%%%%

272727272727727277777777727777777222222% % % %%% % %% %

18181818181818818881 %%% % %%%%% %%%%%%%%%%

1331313131333313313%% %% %% %%

YEYEYEYEYEY SSSSSS 555555559999 %%%%%444444441111111111 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%NNONONONONONNN

DiDiDiid d dd yoyoyoyou uuu uuu hahaaaahaahahahhhad d dddd totototoottoooooo qqqqqquuuiuiiiit t tt t t yoyooooyoyooouruururrur j j jjjj jjooobobobobobob????????

555599999 %%%%%111113333333 %%%%%%%

33333222222 %%%%%%

NNeNeNeeeeeeNeNeNeeeNeN wwww wwwwww opopopopppppupupupup rtrtrtrtuunununitititityyyyNONONONNNNNNNNNN

YEYYYEYEYEYEYYYYYESSSSSSSSCCCoCoCoulululuu d dd d yoyoyoouuu uuuu kkekekeeeepepppppeppp yyy yououououououour r olooooloolo d dd d jojojoojojj b?b???????

Procomes initiated a housing program as part of the risk reduction program in the north part of Sector Montreal. It’s intended for a 28 families of the people of the community Finca Argentina, who were heavily affected by hurricane Stan in 2005. Together with the municipalities of Cuscatancingo and San Salvador Procomes found a more safe (according to disasters) area to built 32 new houses for 28 families who were living in Finca Argentina and 4 families that were living at a high risk place in San Salvador. The project was initiated in 2006, it took till the summer of 2008 till the last families moved into their new homes.

NDICIÓN DE DIOS, CUSCATANCINGOÓICC GC ONA OIC GONGGGC GOOUBENNDICIÓN DEBENDICIÓN DE DIOS, CUSOSSS, CUSCATANCINGOCINGODIOS, CUSCATANCINGNCANTA GOGCINGNCINGOOSCASCATAN OIOO GE NNCNA OGOT NTANCINGGOANCIASS GOA