Developing Transgressions

“The urban problematique is thought to be embodied, at its core, in cities - conceived as settlement types characterized by certain indicative features that make them qualitatively distinct from a non-city social world (suburban, rural and/or “natural”) located “beyond” or “outside” them.”

There is a widespread, intense focus on the city that has been negatively materialized in urban planning and design.

While broad, this statement provides a clear and concise starting point for this thesis investigation. The city as the center of importance in design has allowed for non-city, non-urban areas to succumb to market driven and introverted planning practices that sacrifice necessary connections to outside systems and networks. The urban and rural divide, or the misconception of the urban and rural as separate entities, has created immense, disjointed networks of these introverted centers.

My thesis takes this overarching problem of the misconception of cities, as it has been materialized in New Jersey, and presents an overhaul of the state’s organization and infrastructure. It does this so that New Jersey can function not as a relegation of market demand, not as an interstitial real estate project, but within the broader territory.