Reverse to Reboot

Reverse to Reboot: Urban landscape Infrastructure Design Based on Carrying Capacity of Landscape Structure Towards New Urbanization Logic

Chen, Junzhong (TU Delft Architecture and the Built Environment; TU Delft Urbanism)

Kuzniecow Bacchin, Taneha (mentor)
Hooimeijer, Fransje (mentor)

Delft University of Technology

Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences

2018-07-03

“The ideal is seldom a choice of either/or, but rather the combination of both or all. One dreams of the museum and cabaret, concert hall and ball park within stones’ throw, but it would be as splendid if the mountains, the ocean and the primeval forest were at the doorstep.”- IAN L. McHARG

Over 220km² of the UK’s land surface was transformed from farmland, forests or wetlands to urban development in just six years up to 2012. Soil sealing is happening and even accelerating in Southend-On-Sea, to respond to the regional regeneration project, the Thames Gateway. During the last decade, Southend has been transformed from a seaside resort into a cultural and economic centre, by enhancing transport infrastructure and starting numerous construction projects. The cost of this old development paradigm, which emphasizes the significant socio-economic development, is to seal the land, to erode the landscape structure, and to weaken the ecological services.

In the context of climate-change, the old development paradigm over the last decade seems to create a dilemma for Southend. As a high-density town with a high degree of soil sealing, Southend has been exposed to climate-change related hydrological threats. In the long-term, considering the extreme sea level rise (1.8m) projection model, it is necessary to prepare and introduce sea defense interventions. In the short-term, influenced by the extreme rainfall events and record tide events, as well as the insufficient surface-water run-off system, the northwest and south parts of Southend-on Sea repeatedly suffered from pluvial floods. It is high time to rethink the development paradigm and consider that nature comes first.

Southend in the old and new development paradigm, which is like an inverted world in the mirror. This project aims at changing the logic of urbanization and putting an emphasis on nature. Nature comes first does not mean denying or ignoring the social-economic development. On the contrary, learning from the landscape means reserving space for nature, playing with density and guiding the land use suitability. The aim is to reduce the risk and reserve space for future development, then achieve greater social-economic development and benefits.

urban landscape infrastructure
carrying capacity
landscape structures
urbanization logic

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Student theses

master thesis

© 2018 Junzhong Chen