DPU at the 2nd CAN Regional Meeting and Workshop (Quezon City, 20-28 May 2013)

Photo by ©Giorgio Talocci

The Community Architects Network [CAN] started in 2009 as a program under the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights [ACHR]. The mission of CAN is to create a platform to link architects, engineers, planners, universities and community artisans in Asia (and abroad), working with poor communities and setting them at the core of the process of devising solutions for better settlements and more inclusive cities.

The aim of the workshop, which entails field visits, mapping and design exercises and panel discussions, is to bring together active CAN groups throughout Asia and local groups in the Philippines, in order to reflect on the value of their work of supporting the upgrading initiatives of communities. It wants to reach a collective agreement amongst the several groups on the core identity, beliefs and values that will guide the Network in moving forward towards realising its mission.

CAN wants to use this opportunity to promote community-driven and participatory planning and design approaches to local universities and to groups of technical professionals, with the view of expanding the local CAN network to better cater to the technical support needs of urban poor communities. With this aim, after three days spent working on-site in several communities within the Metro Manila region, the workshop will close on Tuesday, 28 May with the “Multi-stakeholder Forum on People Driven Citywide Upgrading”, where the groups will present the outcome of their work and discuss it with various city representatives.

Also joining Giorgio in representing the DPU during the workshop are the five delegates participating in the DPU/ACHR Junior Professionals Internship Programme who are stationed throughout Southeast Asia working within the ACHR/ACCA network. Giorgio’s involvement in the CAN workshop will also allow for a chance to meet and update with the collaborators of the MSc BUDD studio project Meta-narratives of Philippine Urbanism.