Kuanchung Huang_GRAND TAIPEI : The Porous City

GRAND TAIPEI : The Porous CIty A research on the urban form of a postcolonial city

EMU Thesis, 2009 summer Reporter: Kuanchung Huang Mentors: Paola Vigano Hencon Bekkering Readers: Chui-yuan Wang Miquel Marti

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GRAND TAIPEI: THE POROUS CITY A research on the city form of a postcolonial city Mentors: Paola Vigano Hencon Bekkering Readers: Chui-yuan Wang Miquel Marti

EMU Thesis, 2009 summer Reporter: Kuanchung Huang

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ABSTRACT Mobility urbanism It’s a matter of time competing with space. While the rapid transportation can access to larger territory within the same commuting time, the scale of a city is radically changed. The infrastructure serving urban area can be varied. Metro is the infrastructure measuring a metropolitan; however, motorway was once the driving force of urban sprawl. The competition between private cars and public transportation is always an issue for the city development. The integration of different transportation mode provides a hybrid network which is more efficient and flexible.

The research takes Taipei metropolitan in a 50*50 km. square. In the regional scale, different infrastructures of transportation are investigated. The accessibility of transportation is not equal. Places are chosen according to the relation with the network of transportation. Thus, different forms of network embedded in different city agglomeration.

In respect of mobility, does it change the urban scale and enhance the urban form?

The Form of the City The diverse city forms in Europe demonstrate alternative options for constructing the city. Case studies are chosen in relation to homocentric city, polycentric city and diffused region. The construction of radius network of transportation converging on Paris helps to reinforce the capital’s central role. In the Netherlands, Randstad is a new concept of new metropolitan area. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, and Utrecht, along with the other middle size cities are woven together to function as a whole. Randstad is now regarded as the polycentric metropolitan. In a more rural region, Karlsruhe model (KVV) is the example of integrating different transportation modes and providing a rather isotropic connectivity in the regional scale.

Paradoxical fact is revealed from the city comparison.

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Paris, the icon of modern city, demonstrates the highly hierarchical and homocentric urban myth. However, the segregation between the city centre and the periphery has brought huge concern for it. When Paris is trying to find the way out to be the leader again in the 21st century, should Taipei follow the similar modernization process?

What if the city development is not a linear process, Taipei can be the case of breaking the chronology of modernization and provoking a new city model.

Scenario Construction How can Taipei transform into the city of the future without becoming a modern city? Scenario construction is the technology used to provide a vision. Due to the multiple colonial histories in Taipei region, the centrality is diffused. There is no single centre recognized in the region.

There is also a continuous sprawl of mixed urban activities. The porous city refers to the rather weak but multiple centralities. In the porous city, an isotropic connectivity is proposed to serve the region. Motorway and metro network are the elements adopted to construct the isotropic region.

The accessibility points to the isotropic system become the urbanity generator to structure the city development.

Research by Design Process The isotropic urban structure aims to enhance the flow of activities in the region. The design proposal is the strategic project that integrates the regional system and local urban zone. By means of design projects, the existing city life is reinforced and a new life style is inspired. As a result, the research by design process aims to qualify the porous city which contributes to the city model of future.

For Taipei, the result shows the possibility to de-construct the modernization process in order to pursue the chronological leap for a postcolonial city.

Key words: urban from, mobility, postcolonial city, porous city, isotropic connectivity, fluid centrality

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00. PROLOGUE

INDEX GRAND TAIPEI : The Porous CIty

ABSTRACT

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01. INTRODUCTION 01. 1 The Scale Of The City

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12

• The terrain • The infrastructure • Homogenized vs. concentric

01. 2 The Form of The City

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• City agglomeration • City network • City density • A model for tomorrow?

What would be the future city from for Taipei?

02. METHODOLOGY 02.1 Theory Review 02.2 Problem Statement 02.3 Scenario Construction 02.4 Research By Design

24 26 28 30

03. GRAND TAIPEI: THE METROPOLITAN REGION 03. 1 Chronology: the fluid centrality

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• pre 1895 • 1895- 1945 • 1945- 1985 • 1985-1995 • 1995-2005 • The superposing traces of the flows 45

03. 2 Morphology: incomplete model • Topography • Water system • Regional transportation • Motorway network • Metro network • Urban road tissue • Regional plan66

6

46

What if... the region is isotropic?

04. ISOTROPIC REGION 04. 1 Reforming Urban Structure

70

• The basin city • The global city • The city of production • The network city

04. 2 Urbanity Generator

78

• The continuous flow • The intangible order Does the new centrality mean the urban spectacular?

05. THE METRO CAMP 05. 1 Hybrid Network

90

• The parallel system • The integrated system • Go West!

05. 2 Urban Platform

96

• The typology • Urban anchor

05. 3 Complementary

108

• Dissolving: from solid to porous • Refill: The strategic projects

06. THE POROUS CITY 06. 1 La Rambla 06. 2 The Bus Terminal 06. 3 Embankment Residence

114 118 120

07. CCONCLUSION 07.1 Mobility Urbanism 07.2 Porous Urbanity 07. 3 The Form of The Postcolonial City

122 124 126 Acknowledgement

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00. PROLOGUE • The regional city It’s a matter of time competing with space. When rapid transportation can access to larger territory within the same time, the scale concerning a city is radically altered.

• The competitive transportation mode The mobility of a city can be varied. Not only the velocity is taken into consideration but also the enerygy consumption is important. A competitive transportation mode should be efficient in velocity and energy.

Taiwan

The world map

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The pattern of RER in Grand Paris is one of the prototype of transportation network for modern city.

The collage of superposing RER network on Taipei region shows the potentiality of transforming Taipei into regional scale.

RER system of Grand Paris Taipei agglomeration Watersurface in northern Taiwan

Regional city collage

p = passenger mpg = statute miles per U.S. gallon The energy efficiency is calculate with energy consumption per mile per passnger. Therefore, the public transportation has the highest score due to the amount of passengers. source: http://strickland.ca/efficiency.htm energy efficiency velocity

Transportation mode comparison 50KM

0

(passenger- mpg)

100

200

300

foot bike Motorcycle Diesel bus light rail Underground S-bahn Regional Railways private car(toyota) private car(ford) highway coach TGV 0

10

(km/hr)

50

100

150

• Mobility urbanism The urban region are not served by the infrastructure equally. Places of development are chosen according to the relation with the transportation network. Different forms of network actually embedded in different agglomeration.

Does mobility not only change the urban scale but also enhance the urban form?

400

150

500

200

600

250

700

300

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High speed Rail Highway and expressway network Railway water Topography 0

3000m

History of Taiwan: Transportation infrastructure

Area : 36,000 km2 Population: 23,000,000 GNP : USD 16,000 Population growing rate: Economy Growth Rate: 4.62% Economy : 73% services, 25% industry, 1.6% agriculture Unemployment rate: 3.91%

Economy facts of Taiwan 400KM

01. INTRODUCTION 01. 1 THE SCALE OF THE CITY • The terrain Taiwan is an Island with 36,000 km2.

65% of the surface is covered by mountains. The height difference goes from 0 to 4,000 meters above sea level.

• The infrastructure Different infrastructures are projected during different period. Due to the evolution of infrastructure, the whole territory were linked and functioned in different scale.

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pre 1945 Railway

1945-1980 Ten major constructions

1980-2000 Network of motorway

2000Taiwan High Speed Rail

The west line was firstly constructed in Ching Dynasty and latter completed by the Japanese colonial government.

The commuting time from the south to the north is more than 8 hours.

The first highway from the north to the south was constructed. The loop of railway was also completed.

The commuting time of high way is 6 hours.

The second north-south highway was constructed along with east-west communication. There is the network of motorway. The secondary and third cities on the west-coast plain are mostly connected to the network.

THSR was launched in 2007.

It changed the scale of the territory radically in relation to the velocity.

It only take 90 minutes commuting from the north to the south. The terrotory can function as ‘one day life’ region.

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100KM

100KM

400KM

• Homogenized vs. concentric Does the efficient mobility bring balanced regional development, or it is even more concentric on some nodes, especially the capital Taipei?

The research begins with a 100*100km square on the north region of Taiwan. The region contains several different municipality. They are Taipei city, Taipei county, Kelung city, Taoyuan county and on the east coast is Yilan county. In this research scale, the potential of the regional development is revealed.

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High speed Rail Highway and expressway network Railway Metro( Taipei Rapid Transit system) Urban area Topography 0

3000m

North Region of Taiwan

The composition of Northern Taiwan There are four county and one city in the northern region of Taiwan. Taipei city is the capital city while Taipei county surround it. Taoyuan is the city providing residential area and industry area.

Hsinchu is now notified with its high-tech industry. Yilan is the rural area and now transformed into residential area and recreational place.

100KM

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01. 2 THE FORM OF THE CITY In Europe, the diversity of city form provokes the idea to think of Taipei differently.

Grand Paris, France Paris is one of the iconic modern cities. The construction of radius infrastructure helps to reinforce the central role of the capital.

Randstad, the Netherlands Randstad is a new concept of new metropolitan area.

Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, and Utrecht, along with the other middle sized cities are woven together to function as a whole. Randstad is now regarded as the polycentric metropolitan.

Karlsruhe, German The first tramway was launched in Karlsruhe. Karlsruhe model (KVV) is an example of integrating multiple transportation mode to serve the public transportation. However, there is not strong centre in the area. The agglomeration is more diffused.

Taipei, Taiwan The comparison begins with finding similarity between the case studies and Taipei region and ends up with the differences.

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Agglomeration

City agglomeration

Karlsruhe Taipei

100KM

Randstad Grand Paris

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• City agglomeration Solid/ Gas The dispersion of each territory is quite different. They are constituted with specific environment. Paris presents a strong centre while Randstad contains three strong centers within ‘the green’ heart in the middle. Karlsruhe is actually a rural area with low density.

• City network Radius/ Isotropic In respect of mobility, it is the structure of urban development. The radius connection to Paris centre constructs the homocentric city. In Randstad, the circulation of mobility serves the polycentric region. In Karlsruhe, although the city centre with tramway service is still clear in the network, the accessibility to the region is more isotropic than the others.

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track of public transportation

City network

Karlsruhe Taipei

100KM

Randstad Grand Paris

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• City density Concentric/ Diffused Each region is constituted with different population density. It would be reasonable to understand how the population distributes in the region. In Paris, the distribution is highly concentric in the centre and there’s a obvious drop down when going outward. In Randstad, there is wave of variation. The population density is quite low in Karlsruhe. It is difficult to adapt case studies to another city. However, these comparisons provoke the inspiration to think of the city differently. Taipei does not necessary goes to anyone of the compared cities. Different ideas are intervene here. The composition of Taipei herself needs a more precise description.

• A model for tomorrow?

Taipei is far from a complete city model. Is Taipei going for one of them or none of them?

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42,,000

16,,000

40,,000

14,,000

38,,000

12,,000

36,,000

10,,000

34,,000

8,,000

32,,000

6,,000

30,000

4,000

28,000

2,000 Zuid Holland Karlsruhe province

26,000 0

Utrecht agglomeration g n

Utrecht city t

Amsterdam t agglomeration o

Amsterdam m

Leiden

Delft

Den Haag g agglomeration a

Den Haag

Rotterdam e agglomerarion

Rotterdam m

22,000

Utrecht province

0

Karlsruhe agglomeration i

Baden-Baden

Pforzheim

Karlsruhe city c

24,000

Nord Holland

20,000

18,000

18,000

16,000

16,000

14,000

14,000

12,000

12,000

10,000

10,000

8,000

8,000

6,,000

6,,000

4,,000

4,,000 Taipei county

2,,000

2,,000

0

0 Wanli

Gongliao

Pingsi

Pinglin

Shenkeng

Taishan

Rueifang

Shulin

Sansia

Lujhou

Sindian

Jhonghe

Taipei

Shihmen

Taipei

Outer ring

City density

Karlsruhe

Inner ring

metropolitan area(hab/km2) district(hab/km2)

City of Paris

Sanchong

Ile-de-France

100KM

Randstad Grand Paris

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What would be the future city from for Taipei?

Karlsruhe, German Randstad, the Netherlands

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Grand Paris, France

Grand Taipei, Taiwan

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High speed Rail Highway and expressway network Railway Metro( Taipei Rapid Transit system) Urban area Topography

50KM

50KM

0

100KM

02. METHODOLOGY 02.1 THEORY REVIEW • Heterotopia for ‘the absence of subject in colonial modernity’ Hsia(2000) deciphers the history of city development in Taiwan as the ‘colonial modernity within the absence of subject’. .

• The production of space Levebvre’s theory (1977) <<the production of space>> provides the structure for analyzing space. There are three parts defining space. They are: 1) spatial practice, 2) representation of space and 3) representational space.

David Harvey (2003), ‘the capital of modernity’, describes how Paris transformed into modern city violently. Actually, similar process is also happening in those postcolonial modern cities.

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3000m

Regional city of Taipei

• Globalization Globalization was developed basing on the new informational technology.

Manuel Castlles(2000) S. Sassen (1991) is the first one to use the phrase ‘Global city’ which describes some metropolitans possessing huge influence on the others in the globe. From then on, everything is connected. I especially focus on how she addresses infrastructure as the bases serving the global function. In her latest research, she found the homogenized landscape under globalization and further explained the ‘specialized difference inhabit in these homogenized landscapes. Therefore, what makes the city competitive are the deep economy history of the place and the urban service. (S. Sassen, 2008).

• Urbanism study Luisa Maria Calabrese (2004) tried to reweaving infrastructure with urban development. She proposes the cross-disciplinary study between infrastructure and urban living quality.

‘Cita Diffusa’ refers to Veneto region in north Italy. (B. Secchi) The argumentation tends to reflect on different urban from. In Veneto, the territory is diffused historically. The urban sponge is the units for densification. ‘On porosity’ is putting forward to face the issue of empty space. (P. Vigano, 2007) Latter on, the notion of porosity starts to attach the other urban issue, especially the porosity in social issue. ‘Porosity’ is also related with ‘permeability’ that refers to the connectivity and flow in the urban region. (Studio 9, 2009)

Reference: Hsia, C.J., 2000, <殖民的現代性營造-重寫日本殖民時期台灣建築與城市的歷史> ,台社 Foucault, Michael, 1986, <Text/Contexts of Other Space>, pp.399-409 Lefebvre, H., 1991, 《The Production of Space》（Production de l’espace, 1974）（translated by Donald NicholsonSmith）, UK: Blackwell Harvey, D., 2003, 《 Paris, the capital of modernity》 Castells, M., 2000,《The Rise of theNetwork Society》 Sassen, S., 1991, 《The global city- New York, London, Tokyo》 Sassen, S., 2008, <Inhabited infrastructure>, IUAV:49 Calabrese, L. M., 2004, 《Reweaving uma- Urbanism, mobility, Architecture》 Soja, E., 《Postmetropolitan》 Vigano, P., 2007, <On porosity>, 《Permacity》, NL: TU Deflt Studio 9, B. Secchin and P. Vigano, <The porous city>, 《Le grand Pari(s)》, Paris: amc Le moniteur architecture

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02.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT The weak centralities The centre of Taipei can not be easily defined. On the other hand, every place has its own centrality; and the centrality is as strong as another.

Colonial history After hundreds years of settlement, the Chinese wall city was built by Ching Dynasty according to ancient Chinese ‘Fengshui’ theory in late 19th century. The Japanese colonial government applied the first modern urban planning to Taipei in early 20th century. The national government took over the sovereignty after WW2. The international style was prevailing. Under globalization, the government is eager to brand the city with symbolic buildings.

Inconsistent policies There is no consistency between the policies in different period. In the multiple colonial history, there had never been a political power strong enough to dominate the territory thoroughly.

Hypothesis: the chronological leap Pairs, the icon of 20th century city, demonstrate the highly hierarchical and homocentric city myth. However, the segregation between the city centre and the periphery has brought huge concern for it. When Paris is still trying to find the way out in 21st century, I cannot help but wonder, ‘If we were thinking about the next step of Paris, what can be the idea for Taipei?’

What if the city development is not a linear process, Taipei is the case of breaking the chronology of city development and provoking a new model of city form.

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High speed Rail Highway and expressway network Railway Metro( Taipei Rapid Transit system) Water surface Urban area

Grand Taipei region

50KM

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02.3 SCENARIO CONSTRUCTION Regional research It is not usual to take Taipei in the scale of 50km*50km scale. I would like to see how infrastructure constructed in relation to city development.

The porous centrality The centrality within Taipei region is diffused; the multiple colonial history could be the reason. The notion of porosity is applied to describe the region. There is no single centre recognized. There is the flow of centrality and the current tissue is the superposition of the history.

The isotropic connectivity The basin landscape of Taipei limits the city development.

The analysis of physical situation presents how the infrastructure adapting to nature environment. If the mobility operation changes the city scale, a much wilder space can be used for city development. Can the form of network be reformed to isotropy?

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Water surface Urban area Accessibility of public transportation

Conceptual map of Grand Taipei region

50KM

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02.4 RESEARCH BY DESIGN Can isotropy and porosity be the two conditions that might improve and clarify the Taipei model?

The design project will zoom in to the urban tissue. How the new project effect on the rest of the urban tissue ?

How the urban activities infiltrate to the existing space.

Can the idea generate a new urban life style in Taipei?

The methodology begins in a macro scale to see the city form stirring by mobility. and then, zooms into the project scale to show how the isotropic connectivity adapt to the porous centrality. By means of design projects, the result will show the potentiality to de-construct the modernization process in order to pursue the chronological leap for a post-colonial city.

20KM

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Taipei basin Landscape Conceptual diagrm of Porous city element

The demostration in front of Taiepi central station

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1980s Kanliou district in Taipei

03. GRAND TAIPEI: THE METROPOLITAN REGION 03. 1 CHRONOLOGY: THE FLUID CENTRALITY the transformation of urbanism in Taipei is ‘the fluid centrality’. It is not the equivalent status but a dynamic movement due to social transformation.

There is no single structure to explain the constitution of the city activities. The mixed urban activities are not coherent to the zoning system executed by the government.

The multiple colonial histories resulted in the mixed urban activities.

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1970-2000 1945-1970 1900-1945Water surface pre 1900

Historical superposition map of Grand Taipei region

10KM

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The Gate of the Wall city in Ching Dynasty

• pre 1895 Settlement: the harbor towns The first settlement from mainland China arrived in 17th century. The first ‘towns’ established were those close to river. Water route is the main transportation way.

Due to the sediment deposition at the harbor, the location of main harbor, which regarded as centre shifted three times. * 1885, the Ching dynasty set the first government in Taipei and built the Taipei city wall. At that time, San-shi-jie* was the name of the city centre. It is the combination of three parts: Manka, Dadaocheng and the wall city.

Besides, the government started to construct railway in order to transfer goods from the surrounding area to Taipei city.

* Hsinchugn(新莊), Manka(艋舺), and Dadaochen(大稻埕) * Sanshijie:三市街, also means ‘three districts’.

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Commercial activity Agricultural activity Residential area Industrial activity Administration activity Preserved Landscape River Railway Main road Highway and express way Metro( Taipei Rapid Transit system)

pre 1895 city activity

10KM

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Service 27% Agriculture Industry

56%

17%

1951 Taiwan employment structure

• 1895- 1945 Centralization: the colonial capital Taiwan was ceded to Japanese colonial government by Ching Dynasty 1985. The railway along the west coast plain was in order to have fully access to the whole Taiwan. From then on, Taipei was no doubt the capital of Taiwan.* In the city scale, the Japanese government applied the modern city planning to re-adjust the city pattern. Grid system of streets was proposed.

Due to the class difference between colonist and colonizer, different areas served different people. The ruling class, Japanese, occupied the city centre while Taiwanese ran their business in Dadaocheng. Hsimenting* was where Japanese and Taiwanese mixed. It was recognized the central business centre at that time.

* Hsimending: 西門町 Hsimending is more or less the same area as Manka, the former city centre before Dadaocheng.

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Commercial activity Agricultural activity Residential area Industrial activity Administration activity Preserved Landscape River Railway Main road Highway and express way Metro( Taipei Rapid Transit system)

1895-1945 city activity

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Service 29%

Agriculture

Service

Agriculture

35%

35%

50% Industry 21%

1961 Taiwan employment structure

Industry 30%

1971

• 1945- 1985 Decentralization: the periphery The national government (Chiang, Kaishek troop) from China took over the sovereignty from Japanese colonial government. Latter on, the troop of national government in China withdrew from the civil war in China and came to Taiwan. New ruling class and settlement arrived.

It was the time after world war. For security reason, new neighborhood was settled outside the city centre.* Concentric connection was constructed for this reason. Clear difference and segregation between the city centre and outside the city became recognizable.

Due to the regulation of zoning, some production activities were not allowed in the ‘zone’; thus, they moved out.

The constant flow of industry can be seen from the history. For the flexibility and ephermerality of industry type, it can fit in different situation.

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Commercial activity Agricultural activity Residential area Industrial activity Administration activity Preserved Landscape River Railway Main road Highway and express way Metro( Taipei Rapid Transit system)

1945-1975 city activity

10KM

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Agriculture 6%

Agriculture 19%

Service 39%

Industry 36%

Service Industry

58%

42%

1981 Taiwan employment structure

2005

• 1985-1995 Mutation: urban sprawl The martial law was declared ended in 1985. It was the time after the rapid economy growing for twenty years.

The real estate business became popular. The urban development was driven by the opportunistic private developers.

By means of ‘Flood prevention project in Taipei area’* which proposed the dike along the river embankment, the expressway can be constructed on top of the dyke. The extension of highway, along with the embankment expressway, the infrastructure tended to transform the city to automobile oriented.

SOGO Pacific department store, was open in 1985. The area was called as ‘east district’ which showed the location difference to the old city centre. The east district of Taipei presented a hip and chic urban image while the old city centre, Hsimending, started to suffered from urban decay.

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Commercial activity Agricultural activity Residential area Industrial activity Administration activity Preserved Landscape River Railway Main road Highway and express way Metro( Taipei Rapid Transit system)

1975-2005 city activity

10KM

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below 1,000 1,000 - 10,000 10,000 - 16,000 16,000 - 22,000 22,000 - 27,000 above 27,000 (hab/ km2)

Population Density

• 1995-2005 Evolution: dual core city structure ‘Dual core structure’ is proposed for the city centrality.

Hsinyi District, where is on the east of East District of Taipei, was proposed by the government to be the new CBD. The metro reinforce the connection between the old city centre, East District and Hsinyi district. Actually, from Hsimending, East District, to Hsinyi District, it is a continuous urban area with the variation of centrality. Characteristic areas are interwoven irregularly in the urban tissue. The same situation can also be investigated all around the agglomeration.

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Commercial activity Agricultural activity Residential area Industrial activity Administration activity Preserved Landscape

Superposition of city activity

10KM

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outflow stable decreasing rate increasing rate

Population Growing Rate

below 200 200 - 400 400 - 700 above 700 (1,000NTD/m2)

Housing price

The population density map also shows the paradoxical situation: there is highest density in the periphery. The flow of population doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go to the centre only. There is the demand to contain the flow of population.

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• The superposing traces of the flows When the activities move from one place to another, they didn’t move thoroughly. Some of the traces were left. As a result, the superposition of mixed activities is obvious in current Taipei urban area.

The urban experience in East District and Hsinyi District is an evident example to show the movment of the fluid centrality. The definite location of ‘East’ district is rather blur. It is rather a concept of moving east.

In general, East District refers to the east side of the origin city centre which is Hsimending. Hsinyi District was planned on the east of East District in late 20th century. The idea of the centrality of ‘East’ district began to flow. Thus, the area between the two became a continuous mixed urban area.

The trace of flowing results in the overlapping of activities. The overlapping of big centrality makes a flawless continuity of urban environment.

Arial view from Hsinyi District to East District

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03. 2 MORPHOLOGY: INCOMPLETE MODEL â&#x20AC;˘ Topography The basin landscape The topography restricts its development. The urban area is located on the bottom of the basin when it is surrounded by nature.

Is the urban agglomeration integrated with the nature environment?

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0m 100 m 200 m 300 m 400 m 500 m

Contour 100m

10KM

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The river dyke and expressway

• Water system mass precipitation and flooding prevention Tamhsiui River along with its branches, Hsindian River and Kelung River, goes through the basin and further divides the basin into several pieces.

There is high precipitation in Taipei. The average yearprecipitation is 2064mm which is three times of the data of the Netherlands. In order to deal with the flood, the government brought out the ‘Flood prevention project in Taipei area’*. The main strategy is to build the dikes along the river band. Besides, a water bypass was made in order to share the load of flood during the peak.

The agglomeration is segregated by solid and huge river bed.

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Nature river Old Canal River dike Water bypass

Flooding prevention system

10KM

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Taipei central station,

â&#x20AC;˘ Regional transportation A linear development The regional transportation is constituted by High speed rail, regional railway and two airports. There are three stops in Taipei region. All of them are served with high speed rail, regional railway and metro system. Altogether there is the potential to project a strong linear development.

The international airport is connected to city centre with highway. The future project is to build an airport transit line to connect them.

Can these new nodes be structured other than linear development?

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Railway station Hign speed rail station Existing metro station Airport Railway High speed rail Airport transit

Regional transportation

10KM

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Embankment expressway on the urban dege of Taipei

â&#x20AC;˘ Motorway network Two highways are on the north and south of the urban area. There are expressway to link the parallel lines. The river dike, planned for flooding reason, becomes one of the expressways.

The system gives the first impression as grid instead of the radius pattern with several rings of expressways.

Without clear guideline, complex conjunctions are mostly on the outwards of the city. These heavy infrastructures were inserted very boldly in the vulnerable urban tissue.

Huge conflicts between through flows and local flows have decreased the quality of the neighborhood nearby.

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Motorway Main road Motorway Exit

Motorway network

10KM

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The first metro line in Taipei is sky train

• Metro network Currently, there are four lines serving Taipei region. They are arranged in the form of two cross. One of the cross is Taipei central station while the other is located in East District. The two conjunctions is coherent with the concept of ‘dual cores structure’ of Taipei city.

For the future development, new lines and extensions of existing lines are planned. The ring of metro line is proposed to link the periphery of Taipei region. Besides Taipei, there is also proposal of new metro system for the city close by, Taoyuan. The opportunity exists in the interpretation of the future proposal.

How will the metro system change the mobility in the region in the future?

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Railway station Hign speed rail station Existing metro station Future railway station Future metro station Railway High speed rail Existing metro line Future metro line long term proposal for metro line

Metro network

10KM

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There are different character on both sides of the river

â&#x20AC;˘ Urban road tissue One side is solid and the other side is more porous in respect of urban voids.

There is clear urban tissue in the old city centre. Different tissues in the history are woven together. However, outside the city centre, especially on the opposite side of the river, the tissue is not well organized. The former derives from the urban plan in Japanese colonial period.

The latter suffered from the rapid urban sprawl after world war. Can there be a way to weave them into a coherent urban environment?

How can the proposal reform the confused urban tissue and even bring out new urban quality?

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Taipei wall city Plan by Japanese colonial government moderncity plan Esisting urban road tissue

Historical urban tissue

10KM

57

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Tienmu

Dazhi

Sanchung

Zhungzheng(West District)

Hsinchung

Kunnkuan(Taiwan university)

Nehu East District / Hsinyi District Hsichih

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Tienmu

Dazhi

Sanchung

Zhungzheng(West District)

Hsinchung

Kunnkuan(Taiwan university)

Nehu East District / Hsinyi District Hsichih

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Tienmu

Dazhi

Sanchung

Zhungzheng(West District)

Hsinchung

Kunnkuan(Taiwan university)

Nehu East District / Hsinyi District Hsichih

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The night market The Gate infrom of the night market stip

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ThTaditional Taiwanese snaks The western guest having snaks

Crocket machine in Amsterdam Centraal

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The infrastructure and urban development

• Regional plan In the research scale, 50km*50km, Dual core structure was proposed for Taipei city. However, there is no clear structure in the regional scale. The map of ‘strategic proposal’ is illustrated from different projects. These projects are designed in different scale and are under different concern.

What in common is the new opportunity brought in by new infrastructure. What lacks is the continuity between projects. The projects can be varied and the infrastructure supporting the local development is also different. Metro line, expressway, provincial roads are all related but not integrated.

Can infrastructure provide the structure for the regional plan?

In respect of mobility, how does the infrastructure enhance the urban form?

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Single public building project Sub-CBD project District regeneration Landscape regeneration New townt University town Logistic centre Expressway New metro line Conceptual corridor

Strategic proproposal by government

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What if... the region is isotropic?

The points are the accessibility to transportation infrastructure. Airport, exchange of motorways, and metro station are considered as the most crucial elements to provide the mobility. The dispersion of all these nodes brings a new impression to see the region in an isotropic way.

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Railway station Hign speed rail station Existing metro station Future railway station Future metro station Motorway exit Airport

Mobility accessibility

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Reform 00

04. ISOTROPIC REGION Regional proposal: urban operation The rationalized map of Taipei is the interpretation of the existing urban environment in order to restructure an isotropic region.

04. 1 REFORMING URBAN STRUCTURE â&#x20AC;˘ The basin city Homogenized accessibility If only the metro stations are marked on the basin, these points seem to provide homogenized accessibility.

Can the metro station be the basis to develop an isotropic urban structure?

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Railway station Hign speed rail station Existing metro station Future railway station Future metro station Water: river / coastal Water bypass

Rationalized- Metro station

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Reform 01

• The global city The regional railway, two airports, high speed rail (THSR), along with airport transit provides the basis for developing a global city. Only a few nodes are set. Taipei central station is the major conjunction.

The dual-cross metro extend the accessibility of the ‘global nodes’. The form of network further reinforces the central role of Taipei city.

Does concentric pattern and isotropic pattern absolutely conflict with each other?

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Major nodes minor nodes Railway station Hign speed rail station Existing metro station Future railway station Future metro station Tamhsui-Hsindien line Banchao-Nangang line Mucha-Nehu line Airport tansit Railway High speed rail Water: river / costal Water bypass

Rationalized- Global city

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Reform 02

â&#x20AC;˘ The city of production The motorway network gives the first character as a grid system.

The highways and expressways constitute the express system. Along the motorway exchange, the regional bus transportation connects the region with the rest of the territory. Besides, the logistic system highly depends on automobile. These locations are also convenient for setting logistic hub. Along with the high speed transportation system, the nodes benefiting business and production activities in the region can be chosen.

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Major nodes minor nodes Railway station Hign speed rail station Existing metro station Future railway station Future metro station Tamhsui-Hsindien line Banchao-Nangang line Mucha-Nehu line Airport tansit Railway High speed rail motorway Water: river / costal Water bypass

Rationalized- City of production

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Deform 03

â&#x20AC;˘ The network city Altogether with different infrastructure, the isotropic region can be structured.

With the proposal of metro ring line the coming years, several minor conjunctions are launched along the ring.

Along with the other infrastructure, the concentric patter is transferred into isotropic pattern.

When the network is no longer treated as the radius pattern, the connection between systems can be easily joined. The long term perspective of the metro network is the web that serves the urban patch.

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Major nodes minor nodes Railway station Hign speed rail station Existing metro station Future railway station Future metro station Tamhsui-Hsindien line Banchao-Nangang line Mucha-Nehu line Airport tansit Chunho-Sanchoun line Ring line Long term proposal Railway High speed rail motorway Water: river / costal Water bypass

Rationalized- Network city

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isotropic accessibility

04. 2 URBANITY GENERATOR â&#x20AC;˘ The continuous flow Each metro station becomes an urbanity generator that brings new opportunity for development. In the isotropic structure, there will be no preference between each other.

They generate the continuous urban area. Even the huge urban void can be easily cross.

Isotropy is the connectivity serving a homogenized urban environment. Along with the urban activities, the urbanity generator can bloom into exotic flower.

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Urbanity generator Operational nodes Urban structure Nature character

Rationalized- Isotropic region

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â&#x20AC;˘ The intangible order The isotropic structure is the integration of different transportation mode. Thus, the urbanity generator also present the integration of all of them.

The generator is the operational nodes of urbanity Superposing the nodes of every system, the operational nodes can be re-loaded on the generator. Every node play a certain function in relation to the system.

There will be no single centrality in the centre.

All of them present the centrality of the isotropic region.

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Railway station Hign speed rail station Existing metro station Future railway station Future metro station Motorway exit Airport Operational nodes Agglomeration Water surface

Isotropic Taipei region

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Does the new centrality mean the urban spectacular?

Under the symbolic building, there is the space for daily life.

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05. THE METRO CAMP The metro station doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t arrive on a segregated point but on an area. The metro camp is the proposal to intervene the regional scale with the local scale. The operational nodes has to deal with problems in different scale. The site is chosen to perform the capacity and the quality of the nodes.

Imaging! itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just one stop away!

Imagine! Just one metro stop away, you already arrive the other side of the void from downtown. The downtown here is Taipei central station and the other side is Sanchong. There is distinct characteristic for each area. They were segregate by Tamshui River physically. Historically, Hsimending was developed under well organized urban planning guidance; and Sanchong suffered from rapid urbanization in modern time. With the proposed system, both of them can be linked.

Repairing the model to avoid through flow

Real-time connectivity to create the flow

Regenerating urban fringe to repair fragmental urban tissue

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Motorway Metro line Transformed agglomeration Local centrality nodes Residencial nodes Production nodes

The site of the metro camp

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The image of the huge urban void (the river bed) that segregate the urban agglomeration

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05. 1 HYBRID NETWORK â&#x20AC;˘ The parallel system Metro The activities nodes can be loaded according to the isotropic operation.

Cycling route The cycling route is still treated as recreational purpose but not for urban mobility.

Motorway Highway, embankment expressway and bridge are not well organized. Especially the bridge linked the Taipei to Xinchong has caused huge through flow in Sanchong.

Urban tissue On one side is developed under urban plan while the other side is suffer from Rapid urban sprawl. The heavy infrastructure also stirs the tissue of the urban fringe.

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Metro line riverside cycling route city cycling route Highway expressway Bridge river dyke activiy node Metro station Entrance of river dyke Exit of motorway system

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Metro camp Existing environment

Metro Cycling route

Motorway Urban road tissue

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â&#x20AC;˘ The integrated system Metro Several nodes are linked in the network, especially the link between the old city centre and the new activity nodes. By means of metro, they can function without gap.

Cycling route Several cycling route in the urban area are proposed to provide the mobility.

Motorway Different levels of motorway are defined. The bridge goes from Taipei via Sanchong to Xinchong is redefined to avoid through flow.

Urban tissue The confused conjunction is cleared. The continuity between two sides of the huge urban void (river bed) is created.

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Metro line riverside cycling route city cycling route Highway expressway Bridge river dyke Operational Metro station Motorway terminal Entrance of river dyke Exit of motorway system 1st level expressway 2nd level road Cycling route proposal

10KM

Metro camp Mobility Proposal

Metro Cycling route

Motorway Urban road tissue

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â&#x20AC;˘ Go West!

The experience of constructing East District shows the pattern of the fluid centrality. In the continuous urban environment, the centrality will flow. The trace and the superposition of activity leave a continuous and mixed urban activity.

The challenge here is to make the flow crossing the huge urban void.

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Metro line riverside cycling route city cycling route Highway expressway Bridge river dyke

Existing Operational Metro station Motorway terminal Entrance of river dyke Exit of motorway system

Accessible point Cycling route Bridge/ Exchange

Propposal

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05. 2 URBAN PLATFORM • The typology The metro camp is real-time camp. Going from one side to the other side is just ‘one stop away’. The activities can happen in one place and the other in the next second.

Metro station is like a platform where everything comes in and out.

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1. Chunghsin Bridge 2. The river bypass 3. The informal structure of the roof 4. The street vies in Datong district 5. The street in Himending

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Metro station (under ground) Joint development building Station exit Metro line Railway

S03 Daquio elementary school Station

S04 Tsailiao Station

S05 Sanchong Station

S06 Xiense Temple Station S01Taipei central Station

S02 Xiemending Station

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1. panorama view of Sanchong 2. The expressway 3. the panorama from Sanchong to Taipei city 4. The river bypass 5. The main street 6. The entrance to the bridge going to Taipei city

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The urban anchor Metro station (under ground) Joint development building Station exit Built area Commercial zone Residential zone Industrial zone Park School yard Facility Metro line Highway and expressway network Railway

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S01 Taipei central station S02 Ximending station Both of the area show how different urban tissue been integrated together by means of urban anchor, such as roundabout. The urban anchor was designed in mid 20th century in order to combine the old Taipei wall city and the new urban plan.

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The urban anchor Metro station (under ground) Joint development building Station exit Built area Commercial zone Residential zone Industrial zone Park School yard Facility Metro line Highway and expressway network Railway

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S03 Daqiao elementary school station S04 Taipei bridge station The station located in a gird road system. There is clear urban tissue. The exit of metro station can easily link the urban mobility together.

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The urban anchor Metro station (under ground) Joint development building Station exit Built area Commercial zone Residential zone Industrial zone Park School yard Facility Metro line Highway and expressway network Railway

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S05 Sanchong station S06 Xiense Temple station The urban tissue is confused here. The station close to urban fringe is difficult to bing in an integral urban mobility. New urban tissue and urban anchor are proposed to integrate the existing urban tissue and new development.

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â&#x20AC;˘ Urban anchor The platform is not a mega building that provides all the necessary for activities. The public space on multiple levels results in discontinuity and complexity.

Urban platform is the on common surface. It generates the continuity between places.

The existing urban tissue was developed under rapid urban sprawl. Several infrastructures generate new opportunity for a certain area. There is no relationship between those projects. The continuity between different urban tissue is weak. The task for urban platform is to be the anchor poins that create the continuity.

As a result, all these urban platforms can be integrated in a larger scale. Hidden order is found and new axis are proposed to create continuity.

New axis generates the historical axis and the urban tissue between the huge urban void.

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Historical axis Urban tissue Expressway Bridge cycling route

Existing Urban plateform Metro station New axis Urban tissue Expressway Bridge Approach road cycling route

Proposal

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05. 3 COMPLEMENTARY â&#x20AC;˘ Dissolving: from solid to porous Open space as urban structure A linear open space is proposed along the cycling route.

Several â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ramblaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are also proposed to be the urban anchor in order to reinforce the urban platform.

In the existing urban tissue, the fragmental green space, riverbed and water bypass are integrated to the open space system. The cycling route provides not only urban mobility but also integrate the open space in different scale. The huge urban void is dissolved into system and is integrated into urban live.

The orientation of urban is reversed to the open space.

Diverse open space as activity platform Along with the other open space, the huge urban void, river bed and water bypass, has been dissolved and integrated into the urban space. Multiple activities can come up with the open space. It becomes the positive open space that benefits the urban activities.

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Urban tissue Expressway Bridge cycling route Park Riverside park/ Water bypass

Existing Metro station Expressway Bridge Approach road Cycling route La Rambla

Open space Proposal

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â&#x20AC;˘ Refill: The strategic projects Open space The existing urban activity can fit in the open space system. The new from of open space generate and create the new urban image.

Symbolic project In architectural scale, the activity node can go extreme according its regional scenario. At the same time, the symbolic building can still embedded and infiltrate to the existing tissue.

Living with the void The urban void has been reversed as open space for the urban life. New residential area can not only benefit from the quality of open space but also improve the quality of urban space.

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Urban tissue Expressway Bridge cycling route Park built area Riverside park/

Existing Metro station Symbolic program New program Intensified program Park Renovation Expressway Bridge Approach road

Proposal master plan

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06. THE POROUS CITY a new life style

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06. 1 LA RAMBLA 1. The slow network/ proposed cycling route 2. The ‘La Rambla’ near ‘metro Tsailiao station’ 3. The open space near metro Sanchong station

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The day and night of a street life There is a very vivid city night life in Taipei, the night market. The night market usually takes place on the street.

Thus, during the day, the space is used for mobility and turns into market in the evening. The quality of the space is not the huge openness. What can be appreciated is the intimate scale that can infiltrate to the urban tissue.

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06. 2 THE BUS TERMINAL A continuity between global and local The proposal tends to propose a new system that can meet the essential of the city life in Taipei in the first space.

Then, the symbolic project can be located on the strategic site; at the same time, there is the continuity of the new mega project and the delicate local life.

1. The commercial complex 2. The shopping strip 3. The bus terminal 4. The panorama view of bus terminal corner

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06. 3 EMBANKMENT RESIDENCE A new life style The area close to huge open space is paradoxical. It can result in the image of urban fringe but can also be treated as valuable residential quality. In the proposed system, the riverside residence is well connected to the urban mobility; therefore, the quality of open space can be brought into the urban life.

1. The low rise housing near â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;metro Xiense stationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 2. The high rise housing near bus terminal corner 3. The housing combing with dyke 4. The new development on both side of river bypass

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07. CONCLUSION The song without rhythm In Taipei, there is no clear structure for the city, no mention the regional plan. No single centrality is identified.

There are different stories in different areas. Each story told the story of its own. The diverse and overlapping of mixed activities can still present Taipei as a vivid city. I call it ‘the song without rhythm’. It is like a song composed by random generator.

07.1 MOBILITY URBANISM • Operational urbanity The new technology of mobility changes the conventional perception of space. The space is (re)structured in the network. Space is not structured equally. Some places are chosen as important nodes; some are bypassed. By means of manipulate the system, the strategic nodes can be located and programmed. The system becomes the second nature of space and the urbanity can be operated by means of designing the system.

• Integration: ‘system or zone’ The methodology begins with a regional proposal and end up in some strategic zone. The isotropic structure is proposed to serve Taipei in regional scale. The metro camp is the intermediation of a regional proposal to a local urban tissue. Planning is both the operation of system and the design for designated site. The conventional way of ‘coloring’ the map, which is the zoning system, is too simplified to adapt to the complex reality.

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Local centrality nodes Residencial nodes Production nodes Commercial activity Agricultural activity Residential area Industrial activity Administration activity Preserved Landscape

Operational urban activity

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07.2 POROUS URBANITY

• Space of flow

• Void

The region of porous centrality is the result of the flow of centrality. Thus, the porosity is the physical form of flow.

Porous city is the region with the space of flow.

By means of describing the centrality in the space of flow, which is also called as ‘the fluid centrality’, deconstruct the mono centre of Taipei. The rather blur centrality was resulted in the flow. The traces of flow also result in the superposition of activities. Thus, there is a continuity of mixed urban activities.

Only when the flow can go through the void, it becomes the open space for urban environment. There is a thin line between the urban void and urban open space. The huge river bed going through Taipei Basin is recognized as urban void The surrounding area becomes urban fringe. By means of permeable connectivity, open spaces in different scales are linked. They are: pedestrian, La Rambla, urban square and urban park. The void turns to activity platform that can benefit the urban life.

• Isotropy By means of operating the transportation network, the character of isotropy is reinforced. The homogenized urban environment is served and structured by the isotropic connectivity. The operation of the mobility system empower each nodes a certain importance. These nodes can bloom into exotic flowers which present a diverse urban environment. Isotropic is neither homocentric nor polycentric. All of them present the centrality of Taipei region.

• Permeability Metro and motorway system is the tool to operate the city development in regional scale. They become only accessible points in the local scale, such as metro station (even the exit of the underground station) and motorway exchange. The huge infrastructure invading the urban tissue can be destructive; the exit of metro can be invisible.

The intermediation of a hybrid network can really benefit the development.

Cycling route actually presents the slow network in urban mobility. Urban activities can be intervened without segregation with slow network.

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Commercial activity Urban open space Residential area Production area Industrial activity Administration activity Preserved Landscape

Porous urban activity

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07. 3 THE FORM OF THE POSTCOLONIAL CITY • The homocentric city • The polycentric city • Diffused city • The porous city Under globalization, the city is changing far beyond imagination. The thesis attempts to do a research to understand the reality of Taipei, a postcolonial city. Even the European cities provide the case studies to think of a city differently, the comparison cannot answer the complexity of Taipei. The vision of Taipei is unclear. It is important to recognize the city differently instead of putting paradigms.

Porous city is the condition to think of Taipei in regional scale. The result is a more comprehensive understanding of the real world.

1963-1966, Paul Maymont, schéma d’organisation de la région parisienne

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Centrality Infrastructure

City Model

Karlsruhe Taipei

100KM

Randstad Grand Paris

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll land among stars. ~ Les Brown.

To Barcelona, Venezia, Randstad, and Paris, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s once in a life time.

To friends, you are the most valuable resource in my EMU study.

To Dad and Mom, your unconditional love is the best I ever had.

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