HAITI – PORT AU PRINCE, Coordinate: 18° 33’ N 72° 20’ W.
The current situation of Port-au-Prince is very tragic. After the earthquake of 12th January 2010 people are living on the street or, if fortunate, in the many emergency settlements around the country. There are a million people that need homes and live in precarious shelters, settlements that are even more vulnerable due to the frequent hurricanes that hit the country every year during the monsoon period.

Although the main need is to provide emergency shelters for the homeless, Port-au-Prince requires a project that addresses its future: a planning strategy that is able to regenerate and regulate the areas that have been more drastically hit by the catastrophe. The destruction generated by the earthquake should be taken as an opportunity to lay the foundations for an economic, social and urban recovery. A mere reconstruction is not enough for a country full of problems before the catastrophe even struck. The concept of the project therefore focuses on the term TRANSFORMATION, as this is what Port-au-Prince needs.

After a careful study of the city, in relation to the areas mostly hit by the earthquake, two areas have been identified as dysfunctional due to a lack of facilities and a planning strategy: the port and the downtown area. The port is spread over approximately 100 hectares, interrupting all relation between the city and the bay of Port-au-Prince. Before the earthquake the port was already underused due to high transport tax for goods. Most business in fact would use the ports of the Dominican Republic that charge lower taxes. Currently the conditions of the facilities require a considerable investment as the main storage and loading/unloading equipment collapsed. After the earthquake the Government of Haiti has issued a master plan, “Plan d’Action”, that addresses the issues of this area and explains the reasons an advantages of a decentralization strategy. 

The project therefore deals with the regeneration of the port areas, developing it with tourist facilities, residential areas, infrastructure and services.
Tourism is one of the strengths of the country and should be exploited by planning facilities, services and beaches along the waterfront. The residential area will spread over 350.000sqm and will house approximately 15.000 people. Thanks to the prefabricated elements, the construction of the houses will be quick, practical and economical.

The second part of the project focuses on the social aspect of people’s relation to public space. In poor countries, inhabitants don’t regard rules and laws in public spaces and take over the street by selling products in an attempt to earn a living. As a consequence, the organization of open spaces in the downtown area will limit the activity of illegal vendors and will regulate the commercial activities.
The project will regenerate the two areas of study laying foundations for an economic recovery, made possible by the improvement of the tourism sector, and a social recovery, based on the creation of new dwellings and the redevelopment of strategic areas of the city centre.