This thesis proposes an architectural model that pulls the city “up” instead of “out,” challenging limitations to vertical city planning and urban development. Traditional infrastructure, such as roads and streets, becomes vertical circulation and structural systems that envelop and segment stacked “blocks”, each containing distinct programs and functions as typical blocks would. This vertical infrastructure, or “spine,” acts as the foundational framework, supporting everything from self-sustaining resource systems to residential neighborhoods while serving as the main space for transit. Pushing against the notion of urban sprawl, the project introduces a new form of navigation and spatial organization defined by density, proximity, and collapsed typological boundaries. The result is a vertically integrated urban environment that reconsiders how cities can function, circulate, and grow in limited land conditions.
