Symbiotic Ecosystems: Reconstructing Detroit

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In Folder: 2018 Theses

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Symbiotic Ecosystems: Reconstructing Detroit

Submitted to in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture at the Wentworth Institute of Technology, April 2018

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title: Symbiotic Ecosystems: Reconstructing Detroit

creator: Christopher McAllister

subject: City planning, Environmental aspects; Urban landscape architecture, Michigan, Detroit, Designs and plans; Water in landscape architecture; Sustainable urban developement

description: A symbiotic ecosystem requires multiple organisms working together to survive; our current notions and practices of urban sustainability fall short, largely in the relationships between wildlife, humans, and means of transportation. Starting with a few sites, this projects [sic] eventually expands within the city to connect previously fragmented landscapes, recreation zones, and residential areas. It expands beyond city limits to connect with other successful habitats to allow access for migration of wildlife and humans. Architecture and landscape can blend together, rather than separated by barriers, allowing wildlife and humans safer travel through the city. Current urban design separates quality landscapes from rigid architecture in a grid. This project reduces barriers to minimize edge conditions that make habitats unfit. The landscapes will provide connections between animals, plants, and humans, while providing spaces to thrive separately. Detroit is a city with ample amounts of vacant lots and blighted buildings. The historic habitats have been replaced by the blight, pushing the wildlife away from Detroit and other similar cities in Michigan. Most of Detroit's surrounding areas have been considered for demolition or vast parking lots. Instead of replacing the old buildings with identical infrastructure, this project aims to create higher quality environments for wildlife and humans to live and interact. Turning blight into livable habitat in Detroit will give the city a new identity of a symbiotic ecosystem.

publisher: The Douglas D. Schumann Library and Learning Commons, Wentworth Institute of Technology

date: 2018

type: Thesis

format: .pdf

language: eng

rights: https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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