Biospheric Urbanism: Changing Climates, Case Study 1: New York City, USA

Biospheric Urbanism: Changing Climates: Case Study 1: New York City, USA is a studio report from the spring 2023 option studio taught by Bas Smets at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

The studio focused on New York City as its main subject of study in three acts. The first act was to map the existing microclimates of the city, using all data available. This climatic cartography will help identify the most crucial area where each student decides to intervene. The second act consists of conceiving a climatic project for the chosen area. A thorough analysis will be conducted of the existing physical conditions, with a special emphasis on the underground and its geology. The third act is about the transformation of the chosen area into an urban ecology, effectively changing its microclimate. This will be achieved with the help of other fields like pedology, hydrology and ecology. The main ambition is to elaborate a pragmatic proposal that is based on a strong vision for the future.

This option studio and report made possible with generous support of the Luma Landscape and Ecology Research Series Fund.

Series Design by Zak Jensen and Laura Grey
Report Design & Editing Briana King

86 pages, 17 x 24.5 cm