Ulaanbaatar – Urbanising nomadism (2018)

Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia is home to almost half the country’s total 3 million inhabitants. Over the past 25 years, Ulaanbaatar’s population has doubled due to the rapid rate of migration of former nomadic herders into the city. For a country that has maintained a nomadic herding culture for centuries, living in an urban environment is a brand new phenomenon that presents infrastructural, political, and social problems. Nomadism, however, keeps being deeply entrenched within Mongolia’s culture and tradition and plays a prominent role in shaping the everyday life of Ulaanbaatar and its inhabitants.

Ulaanbaatar is composed of two sheerly distinct urban forms: the centrally located apartment areas and the unplanned ger areas that encircle the city. Ger is the Mongolian word for the traditional round, felt-covered dwelling used by nomadic herders. Ger areas are semi-formal, largely unplanned urban settlements of Ulaanbaatar, characterized by a severe lack of social and physical infrastructure – including central heating, running water, indoor plumbing and sewer connections, schools, and hospitals. Today, nearly 60% of Ulaanbaatar residents live in the ger areas: although household income may vary, the vast majority of the urban poor live in the such areas. While the ger is the dominant form of housing for newcomers, simple detached houses have also become a common form of housing in the ger areas.

Ger areas are actually Ulaanbaatar’s original form or urban settlement, as the city’s history starts as a mobile monastery town, precisely consisting of gers. However, gers have not adapted well as a sedentary structure. Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital city in the world with temperatures dipping to -40°C in the winter. With only a layer or two of traditional felt as insulation, the ger loses heat rapidly. Residents burn raw, unrefined coal throughout the winter months to survive. This has turned Ulaanbaatar into one of the most air polluted cities in the world, if not the most polluted one.

The summerLab focused on identifying ways to re-imagine the ger areas. It explored lessons from the comparative analysis of nomadic and sedentary lifestyles, identifying thresholds and intersections between them. Participants examined how ger areas could optimise the use of existing infrastructure and envisioned spaces to improve community cohesion.

Participants learned from a variety of experts on Ulaanbaatar and Mongolia and interacted with ger area residents. They spent the majority of their time in Ulaanbaatar but also took an overnight trip outside the city to visit herder families, gaining insight into their cultural background and contemporary way of dwelling.

In the final two days, participants developed their strategic vision for the future transformation of the ger district, considering both current urban challenges and historically rooted narratives of the area. These visions were presented to local residents and a wider group of urban stakeholders, aiming to foster a final collective discussion.