Breathing Again: Treating Baltimore Lung

Studio Project: Urban Design 2020 Spring Work Type: Team work (only select my individual part) Location: Baltimore Faculty Advisor: Suzanne Mathew

Project Statement

As one of the most historical cities in the United States, Baltimore had once witnessed rapid economic growth and peripheral urban expansion. However, amidst the backdrop of de-industrialization, urban decay and recession led to a series of social problems such as high unemployment and crime rate. Consequently, the loss of population left a large amount of derelict land from abandoned industrial sites and buildings across the city. In addition, the JFX (I-83) highway and railroad systems created a large area of disused grey space.

This project aims to revitalize Baltimore from a landscape architecture perspective by addressing the vacancy dilemma to promote urban growth. We first categorize the main re-development region into three types of districts – educational center, commercial center, and JFX railroad system complex region. By retrofitting disused vacancies in each district with community service facilities and green spaces, this proposal expects to establish a new economic model of urban growth, promote public well-being, and create a sustainable and livable urban environment in Baltimore city.