Mud City is a proposed urban system which turns flash floodings into bricks.
Flash floodings are especially destructive in arid and semi-arid climates. Intense rainfall picks up sediments from a ground that is unable to soak the rain, quickly forming a violent muddy stream that can carry cars and destroy buildings.
Thousands of people in Valencia were surprised on October 29th, 2024, by an entire year’s worth of rain in 6 hours. The alarm system and water control infrastructure tragically failed, causing 224 deaths and billions of euros in damages.
Mud City is an imagined urban scheme which channels mud from overflowing rivers into decanter plazas. Once there, clay capturing containers filter out rocks and debris from the mud. The clay that is captured is molded into bricks, which are then used to rebuild the city. With each new flash flooding, the system renews itself.
