City-Vision: NYC 20XX – Little Manhattans

 As the result of a sustained ever-developing metropolis, a futuristic urban society ought to be seen as a dynamic field of interrelated force to take on the advantage of globalization, where its character emerges from the coexistence and contribution of heterogeneous individuals rather than precedent structure. However, over decades, politicians, real estate developers and town planners have together overleaped the practice of rationality as potentials of such a pragmatic planning strategy were seen. Street blocks and city fabrics became controllable and predictable through the discourse of zoning regulations, free of contingencies that each blueprint within a city would be designed to maximise profit.

NYC in this sense, is an ultimate representation of a global metropolis that is constantly mutating in response to the power of capitalism. Skyscrapers not only create vertical dead ends in terms of urbanism, they are also architecture stripped of all traces of relationship to the outbound that each typical plan became a distant world separated of another, representing the will and desire of corporate powers. Making it a city of discreteness.

Modern circulation methodologies have made connections between any points possible at different levels. While options of connecting with another seem endless, yet individuals are bounded to its routine in reality, that city has became a hub designated of direct connections to sustain existing social network rather than benefiting one to explore the potentials of an urbanized life style.

NYC, being the most unequal American city in terms of economy power, gap between different social classes continues to expand as top economic tiers are still holding to its’ assets in a future realm. As an urban movement emerging against the lobotomy of city fabrics and human relation, series of new micro-habitable spaces will be plugged into gaps of existing structure, or put in form of rooftop parasites. Starting from selected neighborhoods that were once devastated, gradually migrating over the city and reshape its urban fabric at phases. In opposition to developments lead by business climate of corporates, the project aims to revitalize neighborhoods that were once known of its people, history and culture by creating a climate based on humanity experience.

The proposed structures are limited to 5x5m in footprint and designed in generic forms to maximize the types of program allowed, where programs are purely dependant on users’ perception of space rather than relationship between form and function coming from architects or planners’ perspective. Suppose all cities and villages are an extension of dwellings, expansion and layering of different programs are essentially what a city consists of. A ‘complete dwelling’ could be separated structures scattered over different locations, beyond the limit of physical boundary as virtual connections will be established by communication methods of technology progression. In which housing options become more affordable and adaptable to suit a diverse society with declining number of stereotype family in a future metropolis. Mixed-use and communal spaces will be established between the old and new, public and private.­

City will progress not only to increase the efficiency of our everyday life but also encourages the espial of new relationships and possibilities.