After a deep and complex analysis of the city of Addis Ababa,  which ranges from the historical heritage to the latest measures applied in urban development, I choose as case study for this thesis an urban area characterized by the coexistence of formal and informal settlements. Then, through the comparative analysis of the area's needs and potential, I proposed a scenario based on hierarchies of urban public spaces, permeability of the residential zones and integration between residential, commercial and traditional handcrafts activities (processing of bamboo, wood and iron, textiles and agricultural production).
The aim is to establish guidelines for the upgrading of informal settlements, respecting the traditional way of living the space and the social networks.