Make_Grow.Live
Description
We are on the brink of a major transportation revolution. Once a country devoted to the car, America has begun to push private car ownership away. Public transportation has reached new ridership highs since the 50s, and a new social paradigm of sharing has buoyed ride sharing and car sharing to some of the most profitable businesses in the world. This fact, coupled with breakthroughs in advanced transportation technology, signal a new area in transportation. The introduction of these new transportation typologies poses to have a major impact on the future of the city. The quest for efficiency and convenience drive these advances and it will begin to push current parking infrastructure further toward irrelevance. This will increase the already overabundant, but underused, parking spaces and parking structures while illustrating the superfluous size of many urban streets. The once overcrowded parking structures are now empty and lifeless, creating a void in the hearts of many cities. Anticipating this change creates an unique opportunity to upcycle these once banal symbols of urban infrastructure into lively and beneficial environments. Growing up surrounded by nature and fresh, family grown food, I have learned to appreciate the benefits of rural living. Experts, and I, believe that living in or even viewing nature has many physiological and physiological benefits. Introducing this way of life into a dense urban setting to replace unused space with a sustainable alternative will shift city life toward a healthier and more sustainable future. The introduction of nature will humanize these once tepid concrete expanses. Although advances in technology are the catalyst for the availability of these structures, it is the return to the simplicity and pureness of natural life that will create a healthy and sustainable city. Small scale traditional farming incorporated with multi-family living fulfills the need for more housing but also provides the residents of the neighborhood with the ingredients to create a sustainable community. This program utilizes the parking structure's inherent characteristics to provide needed housing while encouraging a sustainable way of life.