Perched on top of a hill in Port-au-Prince’s Carrefour-Feuilles neighborhood, Tapis Rouge is one of several public spaces built under the LAMIKA program, funded by the American Red Cross and implemented by the non-profit Global Communities. The acronym LAMIKA stands for "a better life in my neighborhood" in Haitian Creole, and one of the program’s aims is to create safer and cleaner environments. With community engagement at the core of the design process, EVA Studio created an amphitheater for community gatherings. Seating, exercise equipment, and terraces of indigenous plants occupy additional concentric rings, while palm trees conceal water storage tanks for a well, located 300 feet below ground. All the revenue generated from the water sales is reinvested into maintaining the space. The wall that runs along the perimeter of the site is painted with colorful murals by local artists and community members, while solar lights allow children, women, and the elderly to move through the settlement safely. Life is precarious in Carrefour-Feuilles, which suffered extensive damage in the 2010 earthquake. The settlement still has discontinuous access to electricity and running water, and people’s homes remain vulnerable. And yet this simple public space provides something tangible for the community to share and nurture. Photo 8 of 8 in 7 Groundbreaking Designs From Around the World That Can Help Us Build the Perfect City

7 Groundbreaking Designs From Around the World That Can Help Us Build the Perfect City

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Perched on top of a hill in Port-au-Prince’s Carrefour-Feuilles neighborhood, Tapis Rouge is one of several public spaces built under the LAMIKA program, funded by the American Red Cross and implemented by the non-profit Global Communities. The acronym LAMIKA stands for "a better life in my neighborhood" in Haitian Creole, and one of the program’s aims is to create safer and cleaner environments. With community engagement at the core of the design process, EVA Studio created an amphitheater for community gatherings. Seating, exercise equipment, and terraces of indigenous plants occupy additional concentric rings, while palm trees conceal water storage tanks for a well, located 300 feet below ground. All the revenue generated from the water sales is reinvested into maintaining the space. The wall that runs along the perimeter of the site is painted with colorful murals by local artists and community members, while solar lights allow children, women, and the elderly to move through the settlement safely. Life is precarious in Carrefour-Feuilles, which suffered extensive damage in the 2010 earthquake. The settlement still has discontinuous access to electricity and running water, and people’s homes remain vulnerable. And yet this simple public space provides something tangible for the community to share and nurture.