Slum Settlements
Zahra Eskandari Dorbati; Mehrdad Javaheripour; Farah Torkaman
Abstract
The phenomenon of space in informal settlementsThe lived experience of social-livelihood groups in the informal settlementCase Study of Imam Hassan Mojtaba Bazaar in Nasimshahr (Akbarabad)Baharestan countryTehran province2016-1986The purpose of this article is to understand the dynamics of social groups ...
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The phenomenon of space in informal settlementsThe lived experience of social-livelihood groups in the informal settlementCase Study of Imam Hassan Mojtaba Bazaar in Nasimshahr (Akbarabad)Baharestan countryTehran province2016-1986The purpose of this article is to understand the dynamics of social groups formed around livelihood activities in informal settlements in their reciprocal relationship with the social / physical space of these areas. The prevalence of quantitative survey analysis of the vulnerabilities of these settlements has led to a lack of awareness of the capabilities and agency of the residents of these areas in dealing with the structural barriers they face. Over the past four decades, after migrating to these settlements, these social groups have reorganized their daily lives, turning a space deprived of basic amenities into an opportunity to connect with the market and improve their everyday lives.The location of this research is the central core of Nasimshahr, which has been registered in official documents 1996 under the name of Akbarabad village . Nasimshahr, which is located conveniently 15 km west of the metropolis of Tehran, was selected for the study due to its average population growth rate of greater than 41% between 1355-1375 and the availability of a baseline study comparing 11 informal settlements in the urban area of Tehran.This study was conducted with a phenomenological theoretical approach and research design based on a combination of qualitative methods including observation, in-depth interviews, and documentary studies. Secondary sources of information to complement and validate the research include aerial photographs showing the development of Akbarabad and urban spaces built by the people during the years 1356 to 1381, as well as interviews with key informants about the ownership history and National census statistics of 1381 and data from the year 1400 study of the chamber of commerce of Baharestan country.Findings of this study show that livelihood groups have formed distinct and independent markets in relation to the social/physical space of Akbarabad. Among these markets is the production of clothing related to the clothing industry, which was formed from the beginning of the 1370s by the subdivision of land for residential units on the fringes of access roads and the use of home-based working practices. In the year 1400, about 5800 people were working in 800 officially registered workshops, which augments to 15,000 to 18,000 people, once the unregistered informally employed individuals are taken into account. Understanding the spatiality of Nasimshahr (Akbarabad) is not possible without knowing the livelihood mechanism adopted. This study therefore concludes that, the social dynamics of Nasimshahr (Akbarabad) is the result of the complexity and interrelationship between social groups related to livelihood with the flexibility within the informal markets (settlements) in Akbarabad. This relationship and interaction with the Tehran market has resulted in the conviction that the livelihood group of clothing production in NasimShahr may achieve sustainability within the group.Keywords: informal settlement , socio - livelihood groups, social dynamics, , Akbarabad village, Nasimshahr, lived experience, social and physical space
