Meiwen Sun

The future of infrastructure development and transportation methods has been an important topic at the Climate Summit. The use of public transportation can reduce pollution, reduce energy consumption and improve transportation efficiency. As the needs of the environment, transport, economy and culture are growing and conflicting, the existing urban roads are no longer able to meet them. Therefore, I try to re-design the space of the Glasgow M8 section in the city center from the perspective of a landscape architect. The project is based on the TOD (Transit-oriented development) model, where a dense mixed-use corridor is designed with the existing environment and issues of the site, combined with potential future functions. In this corridor, I add two bus routes, three transportation centers, and design various functional areas such as a brownfield restoration test field, a commercial area, a children's science area, a skate park, and tunnel gardens.

In addition, I hope that this design will not only satisfy human needs but also give the non-human environment the right to use the road. The design considers rainwater harvesting and reuse, accelerated decomposition of hard surfaces, soil treatment and improvement, roof gardens, and planting design to build different habitats. The plant design also takes into account soil acidity, moisture, and sunlight.

Finally, the design of road space should not be just a straight line that divides the urban area or connects destinations on the plan. I also hope that landscape architects will have a greater voice in the future of urban infrastructure.