A policlinic as a motor for the sustainable development of an urban neighbourhood in transition

This thesis should be seen as a complement or diptych with the research 'Frimangron' of the academic year 2012 - 2013. It further explores Frimangron with a focus on the healthcare sector. Passing on the already gathered knowledge helps in a faster understanding of the district and its spatial components.

The first part of the thesis analyzes the health sector in Frimangron. The government-funded policlinics are often too small and the number of patients per doctor is far too high. Therefore, patients are forced to show up early in the morning in order to avoid long waiting times. Consequently, the spatial impact of a policlinic cannot be underestimated. Next to the generation of small-scale economic activities, like food stalls, the high number of patients per facility is for example causing health risks, a high parking pressure and turmoil among the local residents. As a functional machine, the policlinic has a generic configuration and specific program. Overcrowding causes each policlinic to have to modify or expand to increase capacity.

The second section analyzes the construction transition in Frimangron. The erection of larger industrial buildings creates a clear separation between the public and private domain. The hard separation and privatization of the plots withdraw the inner area from the public domain. In this way, a clear formalization of Frimangron can be seen, where a lively neighborhood with small wooden shacks is transforming into a formal structure where life moves from the street to the plot.

In a third part, housing culture in Paramaribo was looked at, ranging from existing housing typologies and recent subdivision projects to the use of public space.

Four individual interventions resulting from a design driven research conclude the thesis.