2026 Reports

Case Study – Villa 20, Buenos Aires: Co-creating data and knowledge to drive transformation and climate justice in Informal Settlements

Hardoy, Jorgelina; Guerra, Flavia; Kozak, Daniel; Almansi, Florencia; Sandholz, Simone

Villa 20 is an informal settlement of roughly 30,000 residents in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where inadequate housing, overcrowding, and a shortage of green space sharpen exposure to heatwaves and chronic urban heat. Standard thermal-comfort indices, built for formal urban areas, capture neither the microclimates nor the social vulnerabilities of such settlements, which weakens early warning and adaptation. This case documents work carried out in 2024 and 2025 under the Transformative Urban Coalitions (TUC) project, which folded a climate-justice approach into the neighborhood’s ongoing re-urbanization. Working with residents, city agencies, and technical partners, the project co-produced local data and installed nature-based solutions, including tree planting, vertical gardens, and permeable surfaces, that revitalized more than 2,200 m² of green space. Ten sensors and Power BI visualizations supported temperature monitoring, and a January 2024 perception study found that vegetated passageways were cooler and improved daily life for residents. Preliminary measurements indicate that vegetation lowers indoor temperatures and household energy use, and further study of its contribution to CO2 removal is underway. The project also produced a practical manual to help self-builders climate-proof their homes. Often excluded from climate planning, informal settlements like Villa 20 can nonetheless lead effective, community-based adaptation, with co-produced data giving residents a stronger basis to address heat and press for climate justice.

Keywords: climate resilience; heat; informal settlements; knowledge co-creation