Architecture Studio IV

This joint architecture and urban planning studio will focus on the Hudson Valley as an example of the rise and decline of economies, populations, and the infrastructure behind it, focusing on the environmental and socioeconomic consequences of that arc. It will focus on re-imagining the abandoned and underutilized infrastructure of the past for new, imaginative uses through policy and design.

Nestled between the metropolis of New York City and the rural landscapes of Upstate New York, the towns and cities in the Hudson Valley serve as a microcosm of the transformation of landscapes and economies. The Hudson Valley reflects the five stages of Cole’s series. The Hudson Valley reflects the five stages of Cole’s series. Home to the Lenape, Wappingers, and Mahicans before European colonization, indigenous people in the Hudson Valley lived with and from nature, creating a system of trade routes extending from upstate New York to the island of Manhattan. During colonial times, with the help of navigation enabled by the river, the valley was the breadbasket of colonial America, producing most of the colonies’ wheat, and was also the source of much of the grain exported to Great Britain through New York City. During the Industrial Revolution, agricultural production began to decline, and the valley became a major source of industrial production, with hundreds of factories built along the river. The opening of the Erie canal provided access to the Midwest and Great Lakes region, and the construction of new rail lines facilitated movement of goods and people in the region. In the 20th Century, however, with the advent of new transportation technologies and the building of the interstate system, many industries and towns declined. Today, the Build Back Better Act provides the opportunity to re-envision Hudson Valley’s role in the economic and infrastructural transformation of the region, one rooted in environmental sustainability and equity. What future awaits this urban hinterland in an era of climate-conscious and equity focused transformation?