Denver Desktop analysis reflection.

The desktop study of the Denver Neighbourhood, called for an in-depth analysis of the site, its conditions and its characteristics. The process involved considering various sources in order to gather information: Housing and Informal Settlement Upgrading schemes, and sensus data, and documented data in order to capture the social and the spatial qualities of the Denver settlement. Our group also sought to find the relationships between these (Social & Spatial).  

Levels of the Denver Built environment (Simon Ngubeni_2015)

The desktop study challenged one to try and extract as much information about a site, having never visited it, and pick up clues as to the character and the essential nature of the site. Some informed assumptions had to be made in some respects.

In the approach taken to extract, and represent the data of the site, we considered it in terms of various levels of the built. Questions were asked such as what are the various territories of the site, who are the agents that control, own and act in these given territories, and what are the built forms that define these territories, and enable or restrict the agency of its residents.

A few of the findings that stood out from the data included the hierarchical social structure of the residents within the informal settlement, and the relationship between these and other bodies, such as government and upgrading support programs. Spatially, some of the findings were extracted from arial maps, photographs, diagrams and google street view.From this process, one realises how much one can gather about a place from the compiled data. Resources such as the NUSP resource kit offered a helpful insight at understanding informal settlements, beyond face value. The process was valuable in terms of raising questions, that one hopes will be answered upon arrival to the site.