Information

By Mikaela Kvan

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The main ideas behind my project are efficiency and coexistence.

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In Phnom Penh, I have observed two areas of development. There is Phnom Penh city proper and there is the surrounding periurban, which is a mix industry, agriculture and shantytowns interspersed with high priced residential enclaves.

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At the moment, Phnom Penh is a magnet for growth, drawing attention from countries such as South Korea and Japan as well as international companies investing in factory construction. Private foreign investment drives hotel, casino, business, residential, and industrial development. These projects leave the urban fabric disconnected and usually at an environmental loss.

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My project is an urban design strategy for the periurban that looks at development, especially industrial, in relation to the airport and the two major arterial roads. The strategy also takes into account the growing demand for factory labor and is a commitment to developing a sustainable living strategy for this working force.

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Landscapes of production, encompassing agriculture such as rice paddies and industry such as garment factories, as well as living and working communities shape the proposed periurban. Their close proximity and thus distinctly connected nature facilitate efficiency and coexistence. The urban design strategy allows people to produce individually in factories and collectively in the rice paddies all while remaining tied to a community of friends and family.