ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the informal urban community's initiative and its approach to design in slum communities. Based in Lomas de Zapallal, an urban slum in northern Lima, Peru, the initiative integrates design activism, interdisciplinary research, and design education. Ecological urbanism remains largely speculative and its inclusivity limits its depth, especially with respect to issues of social equity. Lomas de Zapallal (LdZ) is an informal urban community in the district of Puente Piedra on the northern outskirts of Lima. The Design Activism Studio is conducted during the winter term in the University of Washington's Department of Landscape Architecture. Slum Toys is a short introductory assignment that challenges students to design an easy-to-construct toy using recycled or low-cost materials. Incremental Interventions emphasizes the concept of emergent design and focuses on the design, construction, and testing of small-scale, low-cost, ecologically responsive interventions in community infrastructure.
