From Provisional to Permanent

Article for MONU Issue 37: Conflict-driven Urbanism, October 2024 The world today is characterized by crises and states of emergency, some of which overlap, some of which arise in parallel and some of which are interconnected, and can even trigger further ones. There is already a name for this current phase, which is defined by a system of interwoven disasters: the age of polycrises. In addition to military and political conflicts, which usually have the most devastating impact on our built environment in the form of wars, natural disasters can also trigger terriblesituations and humanitarian crises without any prior human involvement. However, it can be assumed that the climate crisis, which is known to be man-made, will lead to a further increase in the intensity and frequency of catastrophes in the coming years and decades. Alongside the fight against global warming and the prevention of the extinction of species, preparing for potential natural disasters is a major challenge for our society that should not be neglected, as these events usually occur without immediate warning and, although they are usually short-lived, can cause extreme damage, rendering established structures in politics, the economy and in the way people live together ineffective and literally destabilizing and shaking them. In 2016, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees - UNHCR published the first Shelter Design Catalogue, which showcases applied examples of emergency shelter design, and since 1966, the right of everyone to adequate standard of livinghas been stipulated in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - ICESCR and is legally binding for its 171 states parties. However, almost 120 years ago, a natural disaster gave rise to new and innovative strategies for dealing with humanitarian emergencies and providing shelter for those affected, which are still considered the standard today and are applied by aid organizations worldwide.