Figure 1: University of Washington Graduate Students and Professor Hilda Blanco in Havana, Cuba. The author is on the far right.

Background

In winter of 2000, PhD. Hilda Blanco presented some of her graduate students in the College of Architecture, Urban Design and Planning at the University of Washington with an amazing opportunity in Cuba.

The project she described would require the assessment of suitable ecological wastewater treatment systems for a low-income neighborhood in Havana. For ten days the students would be working directly with GDIC (The Group for Integrated Development of the Capital), in addition to collaborating with several local experts and community members of the Cantarrana neighborhood.

The students would spend the remainder of the term evaluating the data collected in Havana and synthesizing it into a document that could then be used by the GDIC to further the project.

Challenges

The challenges for planners in undertaking this type of work are numerous. We soon discovered the primary obstacle was achieving a basic level of understanding of the concepts in ecological wastewater treatment.

Once this was accomplished, it became important to know what parameters must be considered at the planning level, in order to assess potential suitability. Also, the process by which planners must collect, analyze and organize this data, is for the most part entirely new, therefore establishing a systematic approach was another challenge.

At times I felt our group went beyond our professional range of experience and expectations. Eventually we were able to come to an understanding that our work was only the beginning of the process, but also essential to advocating a feasible system as well as simplifying future work needed to further the project.

The project

As we compiled all our research from interviews with experts, site visits, community meetings, our role in this project became clear. Our primary purpose was to eliminate alternatives that, due to certain constraints, were not feasible. However, there was pressure to recommend a more concrete plan, one that I felt was too specific given our range of expertise.

Despite this shortcoming, our final report also identified parameters that would need further investigation. For example, due to the large environmental impact of industry in the area, soil and water quality testing were a priority before proceeding with any ecological treatment system. Identifying the need for further assessments added a layer of flexibility to the project that was lacking in our system recommendation.

Figure 2: Image of Cantarrana Neighborhood Open Space

Conclusion

Although the process and final project were by no means perfect, I felt that much is gained through this type of work. First, the dissemination of information on ecological systems to other professionals and community members helps broaden the public’s knowledge on wastewater and its treatment. This type of community outreach is particularly useful in advocating alternative treatment through education. Second, the process itself can be used as a guide for other planners and designers who take an interest in this type of work.

As most research and work in this field is currently accomplished by engineers and ecologists, our work helps establish a system by which ecological infrastructure can be considered and assessed at the conceptual stages of community planning. This project can potentially serve as a prototype and be improved upon or altered for similar types of endeavors.

Overall, this experience was an incredible opportunity to take part in an innovative and challenging project. We hope our work will inspire and interest others in our field and promote the integration of ecological infrastructure into urban neighborhoods. To read our report and see some less typical images of Havana and the Cantarrana neighborhood, please visit

http://online.caup.washington.edu/courses/udsp00/udp598b/intro.html

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