Livable City: Filling in the Gaps of Instant Urbanism

Abstract

A living city must exist at every scale - from the urban to the pedestrian; the development of the 21st century Instant City, however, does not allow for this multiplicity of scales. These cities emerge instead in a type of hyper-reality, driven by the pursuit of capital and power. In the frenzy to grow, the resulting urban condition is alienating - one devoid of human scale. Looking to modern Dubai as an example of the dehumanized city, this thesis explores the reinterpretation of a traditional bazaar as a tool to challenge this existing form of urbanism. By way of an intervention that exploits the connective potential of pedestrian infrastructure, the project seeks to add a layer of social and physical complexity to a ‘dead’ city.