Island City: From fenced streets to inclusive public spaces

Gated communities in Bogotá create fenced streets, formed when two or more gated communities face each other, causing desolated, inactive and exclusive public spaces bordered by fences, walls and the occasional gate. What does that mean for a city like Bogotá? Moreover, what can we do about it? As an international and transdisciplinary team, we are reflecting on the causes of the proliferation of this urban model, trying to understand its effects on urban life and experimenting with design opportunities to transform this large portfolio of enclaves in the city. To us, the enormous amount of existing gated communities needs to be seen as an opportunity for change and adapting and activating them is going to be an essential project for the years to come. Hence, we experiment with the intervention of fenced streets by introducing new buildings capable of transforming the current exclusive urban dynamics. Following the premise “Never demolish, always add, we do not deem it necessary to tear down enclaves and start anew. Our idea is to take advantage of the existing and complete it to create more habitable and inclusive places, creating a role model for upgrading of obsolete gated communities and fenced streets globally.

Volume Editors

ISBN
978-1-944214-31-9