N-dimensional town (urban planning)
From the beginning of year 2008, we conduct researches on a new type of town. The objective is to increase both density and public space area. To create a city more social, more pragmatic, ecological and more poetic where public space extends into the 3rd dimension and beyond …
Increasing cities density (without reducing the quality of life: light, skyline, accessibility …) allows to preserve unspoiled territories and to maintain some natural and authentic landscapes.
This concept has been developed for cities of various sizes with different densities and needs.
ND City
– A sustainable and smart city concept by Arkhenspaces –
Summary presentation
The city (or type of city) we propose (and have been working on since early 2008) is not a break from the past. It is rooted in the historical continuity of street urbanism, offering new typologies of public spaces. Our objective is to open up the city, to expand its perception, its senses, and the way its inhabitants experience it. First and foremost, we aim to open the city in the third dimension: height. This doesn’t mean creating towers but instead opening public spaces into the third dimension.
We are inspired by the long history of urbanism and architecture, particularly the utopian visions of the 1960s and 70s, as well as vernacular architecture (how a city was built and expanded over time without a formal plan). Our goal is to develop these ideas to improve quality of life (larger spaces, increased light, etc.) while preserving untouched, authentic natural areas. We integrate ecology and poetry with economic and constructive realism.
The question, therefore, is no longer about what kind of city to design, but what type of three-dimensional city to implement. How can it connect to the existing fabric and fit into the larger landscape? How can it adapt to different users, climates, and geographies? How can the energy of natural elements be transformed into poetry and useful energy?
First, we believe a city should grow gradually, evolving according to new needs. What we propose is a master plan with structural elements at multiple scales (green corridors, green promenades, squares, footbridges, etc.). We do not impose a finished plan or end result; instead, we propose a method, a process, a « morpho-typo-logy » of urbanity that allows for the creation of various types of architecture and their adaptation to emerging needs.
We want to create a social city that connects individuals wherever they are. We aim for a spatial city that expands in every dimension, where every square, connected to another, invites users to discover and rediscover continuously. We want a city that removes barriers (railways, highways), a city that connects while also providing moments of disconnection, pauses, relaxation, enjoyment, fresh air, and greenery.
We don’t begin by creating streets; instead, we start by creating a city — meeting places, built connections, social networks, public squares, and landmarks. Our project alternates between voids and solids in three dimensions. Building placement is determined primarily by natural light and views. It adapts to a typology where areas are connected through multiple public spaces of varying sizes, types, and atmospheres. This network of footbridges and squares, including green corridors and planted promenades, becomes the flexible skeleton of the city.
Opening the city vertically frees up ground space. We position circulation routes on multiple planes. This approach accommodates different needs: an automobile network doesn’t require the same characteristics as a pedestrian or cyclist network in terms of size, density, shape, or durability. Car networks can function with a wider grid without shortcuts (it’s acceptable to detour a few hundred meters to reach a destination). In contrast, pedestrian and cyclist networks need a denser grid to avoid time-consuming detours. Today, road networks in cities rarely account for these differences. Cities often favor one type of mobility over another (e.g., Mexico or medinas). Few cities have networks that cater effectively to all types of users. Differentiating networks on at least two planes allows for reduced road space for cars, cost savings, and liberated ground space.
This freed-up ground space can then be planted, increasing urban biomass, lowering CO2 levels, and reducing summer temperatures. By planting various species of vegetation and trees, we reintegrate « countryside into the city. » Between these planted areas, circulation routes accommodate fast traffic (through routes) or limited traffic (local access). Vertical circulation doesn’t separate modes of transportation entirely — pedestrians and cyclists can still travel on the ground level and share car networks, but they also have access to a denser network of footbridges.
Every roof is accessible and serves as a square, bike parking, or public/private garden. This fosters social interaction. Moving vertically allows for quick travel while enjoying light, low horizons, and views of vegetation (ground to sky: trunk, canopy, building, clear view). Depending on the general height of a neighborhood, many rooftops offer panoramic views. Mobility-impaired individuals (and cyclists) can access every terrace and footbridge via elevators (either standalone or integrated into buildings). Bike parking is available at every level.
Opening the city vertically increases both density and the surface area of public spaces. This reduces travel distances (sustainable development), reintegrates programs previously pushed out of city centers (light industries, large stores like IKEA, artisan workshops, tertiary activities, multiplex cinemas, etc.), and expands space for various needs (store storage, restaurant kitchens, housing, etc.). The large ground-level spaces are constructed with flexibility in mind — initially useful for city construction (wood factories, photovoltaics, construction sheds, warehouses), they can later adapt to new urban needs (industrial spaces, storage, office activities, lofts, etc.).
Public spaces are varied. They connect with one another and with private spaces. Public squares follow the Italian piazza model, each with its unique atmosphere adapted to the climate and evolving over time and space. Everything is continuously reinvented…
Vegetation is integrated throughout, developing in three dimensions where planted promenades offer pleasant travel experiences.
The result is a complex volumetry, not born of randomness but from a series of deliberate choices to make this city an efficient city, a city of connection, a city of place, a green city, a city of enjoyment, and a sustainable city.
Eric Cassar 2010
A sound video, produced in 2009, shows a 3D model of this type of urban planning for a small town : Promenade in an ND city district, Triel-sur-Seine, France
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