Definition: A place, usually an abandoned home, used by drug dealers to hold and sell their drugs, but also a place used by drug dealers to congregate and build their community. Synonymous with the term 'bando'.
Introduction:
After a semester of intense and critical thinking about bottom-up urbanism and place making, it was time to start thinking about my final project. I began to think back to the times I had spent in various places this year and whether or not I had caught a glimpse of interesting bottom-up practices. As I reeled through my memories, I could not help but stop on a conversation I had with a fellow intern the summer after my sophomore year. Interns are offered the opportunity every year to go on ride-alongs with the local police department. She told me about her experience on a previous ride-along and how incredibly eye-opening it was. She witnessed a drug-bust in a house that looked like a typical abandoned house in the city, of which there are plenty. That simple conversation I had 8 months prior about a trap house inspired me to do more research on trap houses and whether they would qualify as bottom-up urbanism.
Abandoned Houses in America
According to the US census bureau in 2013, 133 million housing units in the US and 14.2 million or about 11% of those homes are vacant. Detroit is leading the major cities with 79,000 vacant homes and Philadelphia has around 40,000 vacant homes. The pictures above show various vacant houses in Philadelphia, PA, Camden, NJ, and Baltimore,MD, respectively.
The forgotten Residual Space
There are eight types of residual space according to Erick Villagomez: 1) spaces between 2) spaces around 3) rooftops 4) wedges 5) redundant
infrastructure 6) oversized infrastructure and 7) spaces below and 8)void space. All which are under
underutilized.
The utilization of abandoned houses by drug dealers for very specific purposes bring attention to the fact that there is another type of residual space: space inside.These spaces are the product of expansive growth and are left behind to decay after a certain amount of time, hence the abundance of vacant houses in America.
The utilization of abandoned houses by drug dealers for very specific purposes bring attention to the fact that there is another type of residual space: space inside.These spaces are the product of expansive growth and are left behind to decay after a certain amount of time, hence the abundance of vacant houses in America.
Trap HOuses Vs. Crack Houses
Currently, there is not a lot of literature on trap houses; however, the term 'crack house' is often used by police officials when talking about what are essentially trap houses. The distinction between a crack house and a trap house is very important because they both are associated with very different activities. A crack house is any place were addict goes to do their
drugs not necessarily where the drug dealers live or sell their product for a period time. A crack house can be any house where people do drugs, including very standard suburban homes.
A trap house implies a certain sense of community that is not associated with crack houses. Drug dealers come together in these abandoned houses with plans to produce/sell/store their products. There is a community formed around achieving a certain goal, which is understood to be beneficial for all of those involved.
A trap house implies a certain sense of community that is not associated with crack houses. Drug dealers come together in these abandoned houses with plans to produce/sell/store their products. There is a community formed around achieving a certain goal, which is understood to be beneficial for all of those involved.
Crack house USA Documentary
Documentary on the inner workings of a trap house. Throughout the documentary police refer to the house as a crack house; whereas the drug dealers refer to it as the trap. The documentary focuses on the takedown of these drug dealers; however, it gives a detailed look at life within a trap house.
HOW TO FIND A DRUG HOUSE
Contrary to this flyer, it is actually fairly difficult to identify a trap house if one is not heavily involved in the drug dealing community in the area, either as a buyer or a dealer. Drug dealers have to maintain the facade of the abandoned home in order to avoid detection. Buyers know how to interact with the house is a way that would seem unsuspcious to the those in the neighborhood. Dealers would have so rules in place about entering and leaving the house in way that does not bring attention to the house. The drug dealers are very intentional about maintaining the abandoned status of the house. Essentially they have to adhere to and maintain what society deems an abandoned house to be in order to remain undetected.
Final Thoughts
My working definition of bottom-up urbanism is practices that deviate from and respond to top-down policies/procedures/laws in order to make space for oneself or a certain activity that does not acquiesce to a dominant power structure. Bottom-urbanism practices are very much so exclusionary and this is exemplified with the use of trap houses. If you are not apart of the drug dealing community, you will not be able to access these spaces without the proper language, appearance, and where with all. Throughout the semester, this class has been about different types of bottom-up urbanism. However, there seemed to be this common theme of "friendly" bottom-up urbanism, places/spaces/practices that often deemed interested and cool and is often co-opted by the government eventually. I wanted to present another version of bottom-up urbanism that people would not want to visit on a Saturday night. It is important to remember that bottom-up urbanism includes a variety of things. Bottom-up urbanism do not acquiesce to the dominant power structure and sometimes it is not beneficial at all to the community.
If time allowed, I would do more research about the spaces inside that are harder to come across in our daily activities. As United States continues to grow and progress, there will be more and more of these unused spaces that people will eventually repurpose. It is imperative not to forget those spaces but to continue to learn how people utilize those spaces for their own needs.
If time allowed, I would do more research about the spaces inside that are harder to come across in our daily activities. As United States continues to grow and progress, there will be more and more of these unused spaces that people will eventually repurpose. It is imperative not to forget those spaces but to continue to learn how people utilize those spaces for their own needs.