Dongtan-2: A Premise for Urban Living
The goal of this project is to create an urban model that allows long-term sustainability for both the environment and the city inhabitants. Through an in-depth case study of Dongtan-2 in South Korea, the UDL proposal addresses the many ecological issues generated along with the rapid growth of cities around the world.
Dongtan-2 is a city born of this rapid development, a new sister city to the already established satellite, Dongtan. The location, rich with vibrant waterways and historic land use precedents, provides an ideal site for implementing cutting-edge strategies for a new urban conception. Inspired by its existing agricultural landscape and topography, the team reinterpreted key elements from the existing ecology as an underlying principle in the vision of what lies ahead for Dongtan-2. Therefore, Dongtan-2 itself provides the site-specific guidance toward sustainable urban practice.
Unlike typical urban developments, in which the cost-benefit analysis tends to favor immediate savings over long term savings, the proposal for Dongtan-2 strongly favors investment in long-term sustainable infrastructure, materials, and building design, as well as in education and preservation. As watersheds have historically driven the land-use practices in the region, this natural element became an organizing principle for the new urban site. By making water integral to the city’s identity and vitality, we protect it. By promoting understanding of the value of water in urban settings, though demonstration and integration, we encourage a culture of conservation.
UDL: Richard Plunz, Richard Gonzalez, Leo Daehwan Chung, Dongsei Kim, Marc Leverant, Zoe Malliaros.
Sponsors: Korea Planners Association
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