Abstract:
CHRISTCHURCH 2061 – It has been 5 years since the city implemented the ‘Basic Income’ Scheme, where from the age of 18 years old each Christchurch resident receives an unconditional basic income from the Council owned industrial manufacturing belt. The investment in mechanization and automation for advanced industries freed society from repetitive manual labor and allowed people to choose lives that appeal to their interests which has unleashed creativity and entrepreneurialism. This thesis looks at the design of the industrial belt; it explores the transition of Christchurch’s manufacturing industry into a high performance mechanization industry zone and develops a proposition for it to become the productive engine of the city. The industrial corridor runs through Christchurch from west to east bisecting it centrally. The design stitches the industrial corridor into its context by creating bands of function running north to south, with alternating greenways and public parks. These open spaces are connected by public transport, which further stitches the area into the surrounding metropolitan environment. Each band is composed of clusters of similar industries, for instance there is the energy cluster, the innovation cluster, the automated manufacturing cluster and the logistic cluster. Each cluster shares common technologies, but they come together to build a shared and efficient working platform for the city. The inclusion of recreation facilities, cultural buildings and parks serve to bond surrounding residents and provide a greater balanced life. Overall, this new industrial corridor guarantees the city’s base salary and promises the birth of the Creative Renaissance for Christchurch.