ABSTRACT
This introductory chapter frames “Vertical Urbanism” as an alternative discourse on the compact city responding proactively to the state of contemporary metropolises characterized by density, complexity, and verticality. This concept moves away from the static Modernist notion promoting tall buildings as dominant urban typology and toward an exploration of physically interactive and socially engaged forms informed by complex systems ranging from underground mass transit to futuristic ecological design of vertical farming. The research derives from a series of urban design studios structured around the common theme in several cities in the United States and China during 2010–2014. These pedagogical experiments engaged speculative and innovative approach to design in order to explore the methodology of “Vertical Urbanism” and test its capacity to provide localized design solutions. Through the case analyses, this chapter examines a number of issues around the concept of Vertical Urbanism, including the relationship between density and vitality, the relationship between horizontal and vertical dimensions, space of flow and scalar shift, as well as ecological and social adaptability of mega-forms.
