Residential Access to Basic Infrastructure

INTRO:

Splintering urbanism can be better defined and understood by taking each word and their definition individually and then bringing them together and looking at the two words as a whole. Splintering refers to splitting or breaking up into parts, a fragmentation. Urbanism can be defined as the pattern of behaviour, relationship and modes of thought characteristic of urban life. Graham and Marvin define splintering urbanism as the dialectical and diverse sets of processes surrounding the parallel unbundling of infrastructure networks and the fragmentation of urban space is described by the broad umbrella term ‘Splintering Urbanism’ (Graham & Marvin, Splintering Urbanism, 2010). Graham and Marvin strongly argue that infrastructure networks have complex network architectures, work to bring heterogeneous places, people, building and urban elements into dynamic relationships and exchanges which would not otherwise be possible. They unevenly bind spaces together across cities, regions, nations and international boundaries while helping also to define the material and social dynamics, and divisions, within and between urban spaces (Graham & Marvin, Splintering Urbanism: Networked Infrastructures, Technological Mobilities and the Urban Conditions, 2001). Graham and Marvin continue to dispute that there is not a problem with water supply though; Coutard keeps his focus mainly on water supply, or lack of. He argues that basic infrastructure has not been a problem in developed countries; however, this access has been increasingly troublesome for cities in developing countries (Ahmed, Huma). Graham and Marvin maintain belief that Coutard’s arguments among residential access to basic infrastructure are not as accurate as their view...

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...works. These users traditionally rely on informal systems of infrastructure provision – private water vendors, charcoal sellers and private transport. Yet, with technical and institutional support, such users can become enrolled on to community infrastructure networks, challenging the traditional assumption that new users have to connect to formal public or private infrastructure networks” (Graham & Marvin, Splintering Urbanism: Networked Infrastructures, Technological Mobilities and the Urban Conditions, 2001).

Works Cited

Code, L., & Keall, P. (2010, December). Infrastructure Networks, Privileged Places and Marginalized Places. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Graham, S., & Marvin, S. (2010). Splintering Urbanism.

Graham, S., & Marvin, S. (2001). Splintering Urbanism: Networked Infrastructures, Technological Mobilities and the Urban Conditions. London: Routledge.