Location
Seoul, South Korea
Typology
Urban Planning
Status
Design competition entry
Date
2013
About
d3 Natural Systems Design Competition Entry
Collaboration with Chris Miller and Kellan Cartledge
The city as a hub – a heart for culture and a nucleus of economy. This perception has prevailed since the formation of cites and lies at the core of their existence. Continually redefined throughout history, cities exist as dynamic, adaptable, and unresolved entities with unending potential. Current urbanization in growing nations has expedited new and unique developments that have exposed not only exciting opportunities but also provoking concerns. At the forefront lies the dilemma of providing agriculture to feed the growing populations of densifying cities. The current methods of transporting crops from rural areas into cities are proving themselves unsustainable due to transportation costs and associated carbon emissions. If cities are cultural and economic hubs that exist as the focal points of nations, then why can’t agriculture find its roots in urban locations?
This project explores new methods for connecting urban populations with the agriculture that feeds them. While designed for Seoul, South Korea, this system is not intended for Seoul alone but was instead approached as a case study, translatable to cities across the world. With water being the fundamental requirement for both urban centers and the growth of agriculture, the proposed system utilizes agriculture to manage stormwater in urban settings. Selecting crops in highest demand for the applicable population and then focusing on the natural demands of these specific crops, the agriculture is overlaid and embedded into the urban fabric hierarchically, allowing water to filter naturally through the fields and into the preexisting waterways.
Urban Agricultural Comparisons
Case Study: Seoul, South Korea
