ERIN A. MCCABE, RLA

In the city of Medellin, water is an abundant but under-utilized resource. The river forms a potential spine of the city, but is currently walled off and highly polluted. A massive network of streams flow from the informal settlements to the formal city. The state of the river reflects a history of disconnection between the formal and the informal districts, and between the city and its natural environment.

 

This project creates an armature for growth to redefine the city’s relationship to water in a new district to the north of Medellin. Planning for informal settlers, this district provides community training centers where settlers will learn water management techniques that will protect the land, and also help provide them with food and income. A network of green fingers connects informal and formal districts and manages water. The armature on which the district is built works to reduce pollution and natural disasters, utilizes water for local consumption and agriculture, and celebrates water through a new regional park along the river.

 

For more on armatures and planning for informal growth in urban design, see this blog post by my classmate Adam Achrati.