ARC 606: Resilient Ground – Adaptive Terrain for a Multispecies Future

Instructor: Mark Shepard
ARC 606: Situated Technologies Design Research Studio
Spring 2025

DESCRIPTION: 

Contrary to the commonly held belief that cities are agents of ecological degradation, recent research has found that urban areas are surprising refuges for biodiversity. These urban environments, evolving more rapidly than their rural counterparts, have become hubs of evolution where species quickly adapt to new environments, forming complex and dynamic ecosystems. However, despite this flourishing urban biodiversity, this remains largely ignored in traditional approaches to architecture, urban design and planning, which have typically focused on accommodating human needs while neglecting the diverse communities of species that also inhabit the city.

This design research studio will investigate the integration of green infrastructure with environmental sensing for multispecies urban environments. We will explore the design of spaces that embrace the needs of more than human citizens and provide a variety of ecological services, such as habitat support, stormwater management, and climate regulation. We will develop environmental sensing strategies that monitor urban ecosystems and enable the design of responsive, data-driven urban landscapes. Our site is the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, a 29-mile protected and landscaped route for pedestrians and cyclists. Currently under development, when completed the Greenway will connect Brooklyn’s waterfront, parks and open space, commercial and cultural corridors, and new tech and innovation hubs. We will make a field trip to New York City to visit the site and meet with representatives from the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative, the non-profit organization managing the development and stewardship of the Greenway. Co-registration with the Spring 2025 Situated Technologies Intellectual Domain seminar is highly recommended but not required.