Wes Janz is interviewed at Archinet about One Small Project, a book and website about the architecture (and lives) of shanty towns and other unofficial buildings.
One billion leftover people—typically called squatters or self-builders—claim leftover spaces in cities and live in unauthorized dwellings made of scavenged, leftover materials. When today’s students are my age (52), there will be two billion squatters worldwide, or one in four people. 1 in 4.
In my hometown of Indianapolis, it is estimated that there are 2,100 homeless people on any given night and only 750 beds in homeless shelters. And there are nearly 8,000 abandoned houses. I would have guessed 80, or maybe 800. 2,100 homeless people and 8,000 abandoned houses in Indianapolis?!
[via WorldChanging: Another World Is Here]
Posted by johndanseven at March 28, 2006 03:50 PM