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urban master thesis
Based on a fictional pact envisioned for the city of Luján in 2070, with an increase in the itinerant population, the permanent population remains at 120,000 inhabitants. However, every day, 1,500,000 people enter and leave the city, and during weekends of the annual pilgrimage or the summer season, the number of visitors can reach up to 2,500,000.
The project focuses on addressing the challenges caused by rising sea levels in a 2070 scenario, with a population shift toward the interior of the Buenos Aires province as visitors. Luján assumes the role of attracting labor demand from nearby localities, seeking to balance new urgencies and needs with its own identity as an "inland city" and an important religious center, in response to new nomadic trends in urban use. This entails changes in the habits and timing of economic and cultural activities, requiring a reconsideration of the flow system, among other aspects.
To achieve this, it is essential to carry out a territorial action that includes the delimitation and containment of the urban form through specific-scale architectures. In Luján, the freedom of movement of pedestrians is framed within a new configuration of its urban edge: a permeable and dialectical boundary between rural and urban logics, where the arrangement of its built area toward localized densifications and peripheral transportation creates a new urban landscape as an interface between its characteristics and its new visitors.In this way, the idea is to conceive Luján’s landscape as a set of defined identity zones, enriched by the daily presence of workers from other localities, residents, and pilgrims.
These new trends require specific actions in areas such as circulation, transportation, industry, and housing, aiming to transform the city's arteries into urban typologies suited for 24-hour active life. The goal is to prioritize the connection between new peripheral neighborhoods by equipping them with new architectures and infrastructures while maintaining the existing urban life.
Thus, the project is conceived in the territory through three main operations: Densification of the Boundary, Widening of the Main Avenue, and the Floodable park of the Luján River.
densification of the Boundary
High-density zones are proposed at the city's edge, connected to the urban core through transport arteries, functioning as gateways to Luján. These defined-identity zones are located at key nodes where the city's peripheral transport meets the transportation systems arriving in Luján. They serve as transfer hubs, preventing excessive vehicle access to the city's interior while acting as new peripheral centralities. Additionally, they absorb a large portion of the daily population flow and are designed to function as catalysts for population movements. At the same time, they establish a physical boundary to prevent the city's expansion and accommodate a significant part of its productive activity.
widening of Av. Bartolomé Mitre
Given the massive influx of visitors to the city, an internal circulation restructuring is required. To achieve this, widening a central artery such as Bartolomé Mitre Avenue is essential to ensure smooth connectivity for the 1,500,000 daily visitors engaged in work and tourism activities. This operation also includes adjustments to the urban fabric for typological densification, as well as its integration into the proposed transportation network with the necessary infrastructure and circulation systems.
floodable park of the Luján river
The Luján River has a strong relationship with the city that bears its name. Its potential as a cultural asset has been inconsistently addressed in the urban agenda, leading to intermittent progress in consolidating it as a key urban node. Therefore, updating its natural condition and its role within the urban fabric is essential when rethinking public space. Its short-term dynamism, contrasted with the prolonged and long-term urban logics, provides the foundation for considering its potential as a positive urban externality and public space.
In conclusion, the urban project for the city of Luján aims to address current and future challenges through the delimitation and containment of urban form, the implementation of a new transportation network, and the creation of defined identity zones (ZID). It acknowledges the need for a critical stance against excessive urban expansion and seeks to build a city that balances labor demands and visitor needs with its own identity.
The project aims to rethink the city's flow system and adapt the habits and timing of economic and cultural activities to new urgencies and needs. It proposes the creation of ZIDs on the city's outskirts, functioning as gateways and transfer hubs to prevent uncontrolled expansion. Additionally, the widening of Bartolomé Mitre Avenue is planned to facilitate internal circulation, and the importance of utilizing the Luján River as a valuable public space is emphasized.
In summary, the project seeks to transform Luján into a more balanced and sustainable urban environment that remains in harmony with its historical identity. Through the implementation of new infrastructure, the creation of defined identity zones, and improvements in mobility and accessibility, the goal is to create a space that meets both labor demands and visitor needs while preserving the city's existing identity and urban life. This project is based on a critical perspective on excessive expansion and aims to create a more human, integrated, and geographically conscious city.
team Juan Ignacio Shimazu, Ana Arguello, Santiago Cañadell , Facundo Mon, Oliverio Alaimes. 2023