ecofriend.com

Architects plan to rebuild and transform the ‘Forest City’ into an urban ecosystem

Re-Cultivating The Forest CityIn recent past, the city of Cleveland, Ohio was a place abuzz with a population of one million and looked like a progressive city which was going to double the population by the end of century. But due to some unexpected twists and turns, the industrial economy came to an end and the city’s population declined by more than half. The immediate repercussion was a vast stretch of land left empty in the middle of the city. This area is known as the “Lower Cuyahoga River Valley”.

Now a group of architects, including Port Architecture, have come together to rebuild and bring back life to this area in a much more systematic and sustainable series of interventions. The team plans to combine social, economic and ecological initiatives to create a new infrastructure for the city. The team has already studied the topographic composition of the area and has clearly established a boundary for the upcoming city.

Now the boundary is being given life by planting native trees which will after a while grow into a thick forest. The purpose of this exercise is to rehabilitate the lost natural habitat of the river valley, create significant new ecological preserves for future, augment biodiversity and defining a new landscape core with the help of nature in the city.

The land will be used for a variety of things right from agriculture purpose to clean industries to recreation for the inhabitants. The initial emphasis is on correction of things, but very soon the project will focus on making the place as an agricultural hub. The idea is to develop the land into such a way that agriculture and developmental activities go side by side, on an equal basis, utilizing the land in a 1:1 ratio. Special emphasis has been being given on conservation and recycling of water. For storm water management, a series of cisterns and rain gardens have been constructed so that the water table may never go down in future.

A series of sustainable and green sources of renewable energy will be installed to fulfill the energy needs of the city. For the same purpose, a wind farm will be built 7 miles away from the shore in Lake Erie, which will be the North America’s largest wind farm. Besides, for secondary energy needs, a network of huge geothermal fields will be installed at the strategic points of the city. It is hoped that the new city will be sustainable from ecological, social and financial perspective.

Via: KyleReynolds

Today's Top Articles:

Scroll to Top