
Belkis is an architect from the Universidad Simón Bolívar based in Caracas, Venezuela with a deep interest in informal settlements around the globe. She was a research fellow at the Urbz Mumbai office in 2018 where she analysed the differences between user generated cities in Caracas and Mumbai, exploring the flexible use of space in high density settlements in Petare Sur, Caracas and Dharavi, Mumbai. She now works for the venezuelan non-profit organization "Tracing Public Space" that focuses on teaching and building citizenship through participatory design to transform public spaces.
Articles

A Colombian barrio in Venezuela: San Blas. Part I
This series of articles seeks to shed light on the origin of the unplanned settlements that are home to more than half of Caracas’s population, but whose stories have never been told. Multiple inhabitants were interviewed and shared their stories of struggles, overcoming hardships, constant improvement and self governance that are the origin of unplanned settlements in Venezuela.
![Where we [were] Caracas series - Juventud Bolivariana](/sites/default/files/styles/max_325x325/public/articles_images/2019-08/IMG_1848_0.jpg?itok=SWKYiCTW)
21st Century Barrios: Juventud Bolivariana, Petare
This is the first of a series of articles shedding light on the origin of the unplanned settlements in Caracas, which are home to more than half of the population. These stories have rarely been told. Multiple inhabitants were interviewed and shared their stories of struggles, talked about how they overcome hardships, and organize for improvement and self governance.
Entrepreneurship in Petare: El Encantado
Antonio Moreno, young Petareño, known by everyone in "El Encantado", South Petare as the son of Micheal Jackson, was offered the seed investment, the necessary machinery and a place in the shopping mall “Centro Comercial Terrazas del Avila” to start his very own bakery, the opportunity of a lifetime but he asked himself - why would he open his bakery in a shopping mall, if his own street didn’t have one?

Urban Actions and Emergent Architecture: Community Architecture 2019
The “Urban Actions and Emergent Architecture:Community Architecture 2019” first Encounter was held in the city of Bogotá, Colombia on the 25th and 26th of October of 2019. This was the first event to ever bring together community leaders, architecture colectivos, professors and students to discuss around the topic of community development initiatives.

Struggling against the regime, the tale of opposition majority barrios: San Blas Part II
This series of articles seeks to shed light on the origin of the unplanned settlements that are home to more than half of Caracas’s population, but whose stories have never been told. Multiple inhabitants were interviewed and shared their stories of struggles, overcoming hardships, constant improvement and self governance that are the origin of unplanned settlements in Venezuela.

A Colombian barrio in Venezuela: San Blas. Part I
This series of articles seeks to shed light on the origin of the unplanned settlements that are home to more than half of Caracas’s population, but whose stories have never been told. Multiple inhabitants were interviewed and shared their stories of struggles, overcoming hardships, constant improvement and self governance that are the origin of unplanned settlements in Venezuela.
![Where we [were] Caracas series - Juventud Bolivariana](/sites/default/files/styles/max_325x325/public/articles_images/2019-08/IMG_1848_0.jpg?itok=SWKYiCTW)
21st Century Barrios: Juventud Bolivariana, Petare
This is the first of a series of articles shedding light on the origin of the unplanned settlements in Caracas, which are home to more than half of the population. These stories have rarely been told. Multiple inhabitants were interviewed and shared their stories of struggles, talked about how they overcome hardships, and organize for improvement and self governance.
Entrepreneurship in Petare: El Encantado
Antonio Moreno, young Petareño, known by everyone in "El Encantado", South Petare as the son of Micheal Jackson, was offered the seed investment, the necessary machinery and a place in the shopping mall “Centro Comercial Terrazas del Avila” to start his very own bakery, the opportunity of a lifetime but he asked himself - why would he open his bakery in a shopping mall, if his own street didn’t have one?

Urban Actions and Emergent Architecture: Community Architecture 2019
The “Urban Actions and Emergent Architecture:Community Architecture 2019” first Encounter was held in the city of Bogotá, Colombia on the 25th and 26th of October of 2019. This was the first event to ever bring together community leaders, architecture colectivos, professors and students to discuss around the topic of community development initiatives.

Struggling against the regime, the tale of opposition majority barrios: San Blas Part II
This series of articles seeks to shed light on the origin of the unplanned settlements that are home to more than half of Caracas’s population, but whose stories have never been told. Multiple inhabitants were interviewed and shared their stories of struggles, overcoming hardships, constant improvement and self governance that are the origin of unplanned settlements in Venezuela.

A Colombian barrio in Venezuela: San Blas. Part I
This series of articles seeks to shed light on the origin of the unplanned settlements that are home to more than half of Caracas’s population, but whose stories have never been told. Multiple inhabitants were interviewed and shared their stories of struggles, overcoming hardships, constant improvement and self governance that are the origin of unplanned settlements in Venezuela.
![Where we [were] Caracas series - Juventud Bolivariana](/sites/default/files/styles/max_325x325/public/articles_images/2019-08/IMG_1848_0.jpg?itok=SWKYiCTW)
21st Century Barrios: Juventud Bolivariana, Petare
This is the first of a series of articles shedding light on the origin of the unplanned settlements in Caracas, which are home to more than half of the population. These stories have rarely been told. Multiple inhabitants were interviewed and shared their stories of struggles, talked about how they overcome hardships, and organize for improvement and self governance.