Characteristic Use And Transformation Of Open Spaces In Old Neighborhoods Of Addis Ababa (PDF)

Master's Thesis from the year 2016 in the subject Art - Architecture / History of Construction, grade: Excellent, Addis Ababa University (Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development), course: Housing and Sustainable Development, language: English, abstract: The main objective of this research is to understand the age long experiences of people living around shared residential open spaces in the old neighborhoods of Addis Ababa. And the manner is focused on the comprehension of the shared open spaces in the neighborhoods as a social and cultural products or phenomena.

Case study research is employed to do this research because it is an auspicious method to study such contemporary phenomenological processes. Particularly four shared open spaces are systematically chosen from the inner-city old neighborhoods and studied. The research tries to understand the shared open spaces through their physical and spatial character: spatial configurations and transformations and their relationship with the dwellers; covering such aspects as: activities, meanings, behaviors, communications and perception. And both quantitative and qualitative data are collected through in-depth interviews, mapping, time diaries, observations and photography. The collected data is analyzed through comparative pattern matching, statistical computations, semantic differentials and cross-compound analysis.

The study revealed that the open spaces have from four up to five layers of spaces where different activities are entertained; which are executed out of sheer necessity, option, social and cultural interests. And the distinctions are marked by either physical elements (territorial markers) or expressed through routines. It also showed how well surveilled the open spaces are because of the overlap of activities and layering of spaces. However lack of systematic segregation and ordering of activities marred their effectiveness. In addition, it also showed that women and children are the predominant users of the open spaces whereas the adult males have different spatial predispositions.

Finally, the study has positively drawn lessons in such areas as, creation of layers of spaces that are often complimented by the layering of associations and the inoculation of security and the implication of gender, culture and socio economics on the use of space. Besides, it also highlighted the contribution of domestic open spaces, if organized well in space and time, in readily solving the shortage spaces at home and in bringing economic and cultural sustainability in low income communities.