Date of Award
Spring 6-1-2021
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)
Department
Landscape Architecture
First Advisor
Emily Vogler
Second Advisor
Claire Fellman
Abstract
Across the United States, we can see examples of cities where highways and railways pass between two ethnic communities or through communities of color and are used to further divide and segregate cities. Increasingly we are seeing a new typology of landscape architecture projects to transform, redesign, or remove transportation infrastructure to help ameliorate the negative impact of transportation infrastructure on neighboring communities and support public uses. However, these projects often lead to gentrification, whereby surrounding housing prices rise, and the original residents are displaced or lose their sense of belonging. The goal of my research is to understand how landscape architects are redesigning transportation infrastructure to address divisions within cities, as well as possible ways to prevent and address issues of gentrification. Eventually making benefits to community members and enhances their understanding and communication between each other. After study of examples of landscape projects reusing transportation infrastructure in several North American cities, design principles, guidelines and toolkits are developed to guide the similar types of design. Finally, these are teste on a site of Providence city which has a long segregation history due to the construction of the I-95 corridor. New community gardens, terrace lawn, gathering plaza, small business programs are working together to make a strong link for the long divided surrounding neighborhoods.
Recommended Citation
Wang, Ruochen, "Across the boundary: addressing segregation along transportation infrastructure" (2021). Masters Theses. 786.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/786
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Comments
View exhibition online: Ruochen Wang, Across the Boundary