Date of Award
Spring 6-4-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)
Department
Landscape Architecture
First Advisor
Emily Vogler
Second Advisor
Ann Kearsley
Abstract
Starting with identifying ‘Urban Soil Blindness’, which refers to the fact that people in cities tend to lose their awareness and connection with soil, this thesis focuses on developing a nexus of mycorrhizal, urban soil, plant system and urbanites. Soil is not just a simple substance for plants to root in. As a main responsive medium and the breeding bed for microorganisms and their transmission, soil brings the resilient yet vulnerable world of mankind and the vibrant and vigorous microbial world to each other in an infinite intimacy. As a lens, soil allows us to unfold the world of microbiome and the world of the urban underground. This thesis aims to address urban soil blindness by developing a design toolbox which covers planting, waste recycling, mycelium inoculation and social gatherings. Then by applying this toolbox to a neighborhood block, the thesis tests the ability to make an inter-connected soil body linking streetscape, residential backyards, and community hubs. This system provides extensible soil mobility and biodiversity (soil intelligence) and practical opportunities for human engagement (soil intimacy).
Recommended Citation
Chen, Yuting, "City of intelligent soil: systematic approach towards urban soil mutualism" (2022). Masters Theses. 929.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/929
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Comments
View exhibition online: Yuting Chen, City of Intelligent Soil