SOC 395D - Housing Practices & Public Policies: Sustainability

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SOC 395D - Housing Practices & Public Policies: Sustainability
for Low Income Informal Settlements
in the Americas
This cross-listed course with the LBJ School of Public Affairs (PA388K), Community and
Regional Planning (CRP388), & Latin American Studies (LA381)
Spring Semester 2010
Unique Number: SOC = 46603; PA = 62485;
CRP = 01512; LAS = 40749
Meeting Time: Wednesdays 9:12:00
Meeting Place SRH: 3.214
Instructor: Peter M Ward,
peter.ward@mail.utexas.edu
Office SRH 3.228 (LBJ) & BUR 532 (SOC)
Office Hours: Th 2:00-:4:00 SRH 3.228
or by appointment 475-8621 with
Deborah Holley (471-0289)
dsholley@mail.utexas.edu
COURSE AIMS AND PURPOSE
This research-and-teaching project forms part of the core “Urban Sustainability” doctoral
program in the School of Architecture. The class will explore low-cost sustainable
technology applications and policy development proposals for installation and retrofitting
lower-income homes in the Southern parts of the USA (primarily) and by extension to
consolidating and consolidated self-build settlements in Latin American cities. In the
USA we will analyze the state of the art relating to sustainable housing and infrastructure
applications for lower and lower middle income urban populations in inner urban and first
suburb neighborhoods of Austin. The aim is to identify the potential applications for low
income self-managed housing in Texas border colonias; in Informal Homestead
Subdivisions (IfHSs) in the peri-urban rural hinterlands of metropolitan areas in Texas;
and in consolidating and consolidated self-help settlements in Latin American cities. The
class is likely to involve some fieldwork in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and El
Paso.
Previous policy oriented classes at the LBJ School (Policy Research projects) have
explored a number of these topic areas: housing practices in Latin American and
Southern US cities; low densities and densification policies for colonias; intermediate
technology drainage and wastewater systems. This course will build upon those class
materials and will explore best practices and applications for sustainable (low-income)
housing development throughout the Americas. While we will examine a number of
areas of sustainability our primary task will be to figure out the extent to which significant
savings and advances in sustainability can be achieved through sensitive policy
development and implementation in the various housing arenas that we are considering.
In Southern climatic conditions solar panels (especially) can provide significant energy
supplementation. Solar water heating panels, especially, may be expected to generate
warm water for household needs, and can be retrofitted to traditional gas water heaters
with savings of up to 80% of normal water heating costs. The seminar will investigate
what technologies already exist (or are under development) and the potential for their
adaptation and production at low cost. It will also examine how such applications might
be integrated within new and existing housing structures and lot arrangements (either as
roof components or as stand-alone panels in the yard). Associated with the integration of
renewable energy components would be insulation technology improvements. All these
elements form part of the Obama Administration’s current thinking and stimulus
package. What is absent from these discussions is more general thinking about how to
develop and provide incentives for widespread applications among poorer
neighborhoods; how to develop NGO and local community involvement and
participation; and how to embed such initiatives within the statewide and city legislative
process.
Therefore the primary focus will be on energy efficient applications and self-managed
home design and improvements, as well as the wider use of renewable energy
technologies in low income housing production and housing rehab. We expect to
advance understanding of the opportunities for housing adaptation (and production) of
low cost solar panels in order to provide warm water and energy suitable for low-income
householder needs in informal homestead subdivisions and colonias.
These
applications will be set within a broader understanding of the nature of these housing
production systems, and other aspects of sustainability in such areas – intermediate
technology for drainage and wastewater systems; fiscal sustainability; and social
sustainability (mobilization of human capital); judicial (legal) sustainability & inheritance;
and how best to introduce such research into the policy and legislative process.
All students will need to log onto the Blackboard, since this will be the principal mechanism
for information dissemination and group liaison.
KEY TEXTS.
I do not expect to assign any one particular text, but as you go along part of the task will
be to prepare an annotated bibliography of materials consulted in order to provide a
master reference list for future work. However, as particular readings of importance are
identified, these will be uploaded onto Blackboard to provide efficient access to everyone.
Key texts that you should probably consult sooner rather than later are:
Peter Ward. 1999. Colonias and Public Policy in Texas and Mexico: Urbanization by
Stealth. University of Texas Press. Paperback. $25 +/Steven Moore (ed) 2010. Pragmatic Sustainability: Theoretical and Practical Tools.
Routledge. $36 paperback. Not available until February 14.
GRADING AND FINAL EXAM.
Assessment will be assigned thus: 30% for the contributions to briefing papers, working
papers, etc., 70% for class participation and performance; (30% of which half will be on
the basis of peer group assessment).
COURSE OUTLINE
Week
Topic
1)
Jan 20. Introduction:
Class Organization and Goals
Overview Lecture: Self-help housing, Irregular Settlements; and Public Policy in
Latin America. (Reading = See Document “Readings Week 1”)
2)
Jan 27. Innerburbs; Colonias, & Informal Subdivisions – Our Study Arenas
Overview Lecture: 1) Colonias in the Texas Border – Comparisons with Mexico
2) Colonias outside of the border – Informal Homestead Subdivisions. (Reading =
See Document “Readings Week 2”
3) The innerburbs…& Urban Rehab.
½ day fieldwork – to be arranged. Probably Friday 5th or Saturday 6th.
3)
Feb 3rd Preparation of the Preliminary Matrix Identifying the Key Variables
Impacting Upon Implementation of Sustainable Techologies
In class brainstorming for each urban setting (LA cities, colonias, innerburbs etc.)
Deliverable # 1: Summary overview related to the Matrix. (For 9th Feb).
4)
Feb 10th Introduction of Arenas of Sustainability
Introduction
Dwelling applications for renewable energies and energy conservation
Site environmental applications
Other alternative & low tech approaches towards sustainability:
Solid waste management
Sewage and Wastewater systems (gray and black water)
Group Work Begins
5)
Feb 17th Group Progress Reports & Discussion
6)
Feb. 24. Group work Continues
Drafting of Individual Base Documents and Annotated Bibliographies
Deliverable # 2 due Tuesday March 2nd
7)
March 3rd Introduction & Overview of the Spheres of Policy Making for
Sustainability in Texas & other selected
First thoughts - Brainstorming
i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
Technical & Programmatic (dwelling and site)
Fiscal and Financial
Judicial/Legal
Social & Organizational:
NGOs
Community mobilization
Group assignments & group work begins; data collection.
8)
March 10th Group Work and Data Collection Strategies/Search
Class meets to discuss progress reports and to describe their research goals and
strategies.
9)
March 17th No Class Spring Break - but fieldwork can continue if that suits
10)
March 24 Class Meeting & Progress Report
11)
March 31 “Fieldwork”/ Data Collection & Group Work Continues
Drafting of Base Document begins
12)
April 7 Class Presentations & Discussion of Base Document
(Deliverable # 3) Deliverable # 3 due today
13)
April 14: Defining the Matrix and Identification of Suite of Policy
Recommendations & Applications
In class brainstorming
Allocation of tasks by group and aims of final paper and Matrix discussion
14)
April 21st Preparation of Final Papers & Deliverable # 4 (continues)
15)
April 28th Presentations of Deliverable # 4
14)
May 5th Whither (or Wither) Sustainable Housing? Priorities & Future
Perspectives and Imperatives
Class Discussion and Roundtable with UT experts.
PMW 1/14/2010
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