Farai Matangira Thesis 21/22

Picking the Right Thesis Project Site It is well understood that picking the ideal site for your thesis is arguably the most important part of the project. At this early stage of the research, some may have already selected their site based on a preconceived idea well before beginning thesis research, or some may feel that the perfect site will come around as the research project evolves. I have decided to instead break down the characteristics of the ideal site as a means to narrow down researching potential sites. Some of the characteristics include; a neighborhood in an urban area, a neighborhood in a coastal area, or one that is subject to urbanization. These characteristics were the guidelines in picking the 3 potential sites I have so far, and I assume some more potential sites will come along with further research, while some will be eliminated.  The first site is Rikers Island in the East River between Queens and The Bronx in New York City. The island has been a site o...

In the early 20th century, the automobile was promoted by the automotive industry as the preferred mode of transportation. The effects of this deliberate advocacy for the automobile led to the reconstruction of city streets and neighborhoods, and eventually, a move towards extremely car-dependent societies. Today, many automobile-centric cities face problems such as congestion, pollution, neighborhood destruction, and significant losses of the urban landscape. This has put societies under pressure, leaving many of them fragile and on the brink of collapse. This thesis addresses the problems that originated from car centrism and investigates ideas for the ideal 21st-century city. It seeks to re-imagine what a city might look like if living spaces were not catered for vehicles, and instead, are designed for the people. The ideas investigated include a return to the human scale in the way that people live, with an emphasis on greener landscapes instead of parking lots, reclaiming city str...

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Day 1 of a long journey of discovery...