An article by M.Arch student Sonata Caric, which included work from architecture professor Nico Larco, director of Urbanism Next Center, was featured in the 25th issue of the Perkins&Will Research Journal. Their article, “Sustainable Urbanism for Displaced People: Developing a Framework of Principles within the Institutional and Pragmatic Constraints in Transitional Settlement Design,”  focuses on identifying and exploring the links between design practices for natural disaster victims, refugees, and displaced houseless communities.

Their article studies three cases: the Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya, the Christchurch disaster response, and the Kenton Women’s Village in Portland. Each case was evaluated based on indefinite longevity, coordinated response efforts utilized after the natural disasters, and community-driven and central government-led initiatives. Each case is studied extensively from the perspective of urban design.

Caric's article finds that "effective design planning objectives for sustainable transitional settlements employ life cycle thinking and minimize irreversible and negative impacts on the environment and its residents." Sustainability practices are necessary for providing positive transitions for displaced people and their communities ass well as addressing the changing needs of these populations.

For more information on the Perkins&Will Research Journal and a short overview of each of the 4 articles, check out this article from Perkins&Will. https://perkinswill.com/news/the-25th-issue-of-the-perkinswill-research-journal/

To read the article or the full issue, follow this link. Sonata and Nico's article starts on page 19. https://perkinswill.com/research-journal-vol-14-01/