Is it conceivable to question the very presence of highways in urban environments? What potential for requalification does this space, with its unique characteristics, offer?
This is the central question that the Design Studio will explore during the spring semester, producing "counter-projects" aimed at overcoming, dismantling, adapting, repurposing, and reconceptualizing the highway barriers still present within the city.
Several Swiss cities are intersected by stretches of the national road network, remnants of a bygone era. Today, these roads act as barriers to urban movement, sources of air and noise pollution, and spaces of congestion, as the massive traffic volumes they channel into the city are excessive. The first step is to identify and map these areas; the second is to develop hypotheses about their potential evolution.
Drawing on existing research, site visits, and project development, the Design Studio will generate ideas and perspectives to be debated collectively and publicly.