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The question about the future of our cities starts with the consideration of what kind of society we want. What role will architecture play in shaping our society and the way people live their lives? Can architecture really be a tool for other objectives? Can it be part of reactivation of the... Show moreThe question about the future of our cities starts with the consideration of what kind of society we want. What role will architecture play in shaping our society and the way people live their lives? Can architecture really be a tool for other objectives? Can it be part of reactivation of the economy? The future of cities, whether they are as densely populated as the modern metropolis or more sprawled like its surroundings, need to adapt to new technologies and ways of living. We have to be aware that our cities are in constant change and development, and that their future relies on how able they are at adapting. In order to adapt, urbanism needs to step back and analyze the existing city structure, to improve it and create a more flexible environment that will adjust to the next century. The objective of this thesis is to propose a strategy that enhances sustainable development and meets the needs of today by opening a path to the future. Sustainable development is the kind of development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs.1 Change is occurring - society is willing to connect with the city and therefore the city must connect back. It should be the playground of young and not so young people. It is in our hands to transform the built environment and create spaces of relation in society. 1 Definition coined in the Brundtland Commission of 1972. xv However, what is really needed is to fix, re-activate, remodel and improve the existing metropolis that we already have. The objective of the thesis is to investigate the urban model of a city and how this can address the present but at the same time is flexible enough to shape the future. Opposites exist and, by definition, there is a strong connection between them. In this research I will work towards a hybrid condition of society. Why do we need to have the opposites separated? Can we bring them together, make them work and interact but at the same time maintain their identity? Can nature influence the metropolis without causing it to lose the density that characterizes it? To investigate this and find answers to the continuous evolution of society, the first studio will concentrate on the Retreat, what it is and how it works. This research will provide an abstraction of nature and Retreat in its pure simple form. I will use this abstraction by applying it to the built environment and using it to analyze and shape the metropolis. I will also observe what changes occur in the basic relationships of society. Many questions arise when an architect gets into the topic of the future city. What kind of people and cities do we want? What will make us experience the difference that we are searching for? How can public spaces be used for people to meet and connect and for culture to grow? What is the difference between metropolis and nature? These questions will guide the projects to find a coherent strategy that could be applied to different metropolitan sceneries. The first field of study proposed is designing with nature. The environment in Colorado around Camp of Arts Perry Mansfield is mostly wild. Here I will see how design xvi responds to the nature around it. How do we bring an urbanized sense to the landscape in order to enhance the feelings we have in it? The second field of study of the thesis addresses the urban tissue of Woodlawn (a neighborhood in Chicago), the existing metropolis, how it is moving towards the future, and creating a bond between environment and metropolis. In this section of the thesis, I will introduce nature as a tool for the development of the city. What are architects and urbanists working on to reshape the built environment, and how do we make spatial conditions where we will experience more diverse stages? I want to create a hybrid stage where natural and urban elements work together, a space for interaction in society, and having retreat and metropolis in the same place. The ´Desires of the City´ will be a strategy that looks into a series of aspects that involve the urban development. Focusing in what the users need and want, and creating a community sense between the neighbors. The aspect of controlling energy and sustainable projects that deal with communication and infrastructures of the neighborhood. In the programmatic side, providing a strategy of one space that hosts different activities, with a variety of cultural and social equipment. I will introduce a designed landscape that will work as the extra layer that we are missing in the urbanism of today. Landscape will be the infrastructure of the neighborhoods, introducing the concept of semi-private ownership in the metropolis. Questioning the actual ownership of the ground and transforming vacant land into options and opportunities, one of the fundamental assertions of the projects is the necessity of community action and engagement. In order to make an impact, society has to be involved xvii in the process. This new landscape infrastructure is where action happens and will spark the beginning of a new urbanism that is characterized by flexibility and where future changes in society are an asset and not an issue. This new residential model is sensible and will respond to the desires of the users.
M.S. in Architecture, July 2014 Show less