BETWEEN “THE TOP” AND “THE BOTTOM”

A short description of the topic(s) you wish to investigate

From the initial subject of “London research” which we devoted ourselves to understanding various cultural communities in London, I realized differences among them and the concept of “social hierarchy”, this concept has been revealed in my previous works more or less, either to minimize the social hierarchy or to exaggerate it. I was interesting in how an urban pattern can reflect the social hierarchy or how they influence each other, as well as negative and positive interactions between them.

The objectives you wish to achieve in pursuing the topic(s).

In terms of my project of detailed urban design, I created a small multiple layers city. At first glance, this project was for tackling the crisis of flooding, actually, to large extent I was trying to embody the social hierarchy which can interact with that new complicated urban structure, like a metaphor: the top of the city is accumulated with advantaged people, to some extent they represent brainworkers who are directing a city’s operation. On the other hand, the bottom of the city is accumulated with disadvantaged people, who represent manual workers that support the upper layers.
This perspective is so similar with an old movie “Metropolis”(Released in 1927 , directed by Fritz Lang and written by Lang and Thea von Harbou.) which is my one of key references. It revealed two polar social classes: one is mechanical workers living in the depths beneath the earth, the other is advanced people living in skyscrapers who control these workers, meanwhile can enjoy their colourful lives.
Besides the fictional urban pattern in the movie, some real phenomena exist in our present society. In terms of the inspiration by the movie, I’d like to research some certain sites and investigate the relationship between urban pattern and social hierarchy, as well as to figure out some contradictions and opportunities to improve this kind of relationship, to balance them in order to achieve a more healthy society, thus this investigation can be as th foundation of my final design.
City is like a huge machine that need different people play different roles in, it is not enough if we just consider the gap of social hierarchy as an unfair and negative issue. From my point of view, we need create a more well-organised city in order to give everybody their own value to devote themselves into the city’s operation.

The work methodology you intend to follow.

First step is basic information of social hierarchy, focusing on how it is reflected and how it formed. I’d like to search some relevant documents and theoretical books in order to have a clear concept of this issue. Secondly, I plan to do some fieldwork in London for finding out how the urban pattern or building typology is connected with different social hierarchy or different cultural communities, what kind of contradictions or negative aspect has been revealed, as well as active elements. Thirdly, I also want to refer to my detailed urban design project and some existing methods to discuss how we can treat the gap between different social hierarchy in terms of adjusting the urban pattern, to be more specific, how the effects of “bottom up” and ”top down” approach interact.

The anticipated contents of the design project and the media you think you will be using (Plans, computer renders, models, film, etc…)

My anticipated final design project depends on almost all of my previous works, It is supposed to be a more detailed and advanced design originating from my detailed urban design. It should be a multiple layers, mixed use and well-organized city, people of different social hierarchy have their own positions that are integrated into the whole city’s improvement. Besides the plans and models, I am keen to compose a story by drawing a series of pictures to show how a people find his/her value trough making a round trip between the top and the bottom of the city.

The anticipated table of contents of the written Report and a brief outline of the content of each chapter.

Chapter 1 Existence and Representation of Social Hierarchy
Refer to the first work of “London research”, it will introduce the existence of social hierarchy and how it is reflected by urban pattern.
Chapter 2 Formation of Social Hierarchy and the mutual impact between Social Hierarchy and Urban Pattern.
Chapter 3 Various perspectives regard Social Hierarchy.
Chapter 4. The Mediator Between The Top and The Bottom.
Refer to the movie “Metropolis” , it mentioned that “the head” and “the hand” need a mediator to understand each other , so that they could unite for operating the city. If we need adjust the gap between different social hierarchy in the view of urban design, Architects or Urban designer can be viewed as the mediator.
Chapter 5 Conclusion
In my view, a harmonious society should provide citizens a common target that suits most people’s interest, as well as give everybody their own value working in their positions. In that way, we need create a well-organised city, a balance city rather than blindly eliminating the gap between different social hierarchy.

A preliminary list of references in the form of a short bibliography.

1.Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_(film)
2.David Grahame Shane, 2005, Recombinant Urbanism, Wiley-Academy, a division of John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
3.Jane Jacobs,1961,The Death and Life of Great American cities. Random House.
4.Paterson, Alexander, Sir, 1884-1947.: Across the bridges : or, Life by the South London riverside / by Alexander Paterson / with an introduction by the Right Rev. E.S. Talbot. New ed. London : E. Arnold , 1912.