A VISION FOR LIMA 2121

requires for us to see Lima 2017.

Lima is a DARK city

Lima is a BROKEN city

Lima is a CLANDESTINE city, only revealing its TRUE NATURE under certain light

Lima is a FRACTURED city

Sources:
http://convoca.pe/agenda-propia/el-cerro-donde-el-peru-se-divide-en-dos
http://www.minuscula.pe/lima-no-me-mates/

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A VISION FOR LIMA 2121
requires, in my opinion, for us to make Lima a blank slate, a tabula rasa, following Nerón’s burning of Rome. Pessimistic as it seems, considering the actual state of things,
invaded by corruption at all levels, I image that only something similar to a French Revolution would make a difference. However, since this is not possible for this exercise, I
would propose three ideas for a revamped Lima in 2121, which are equally utopic.

1. A new layer, in the sky or/and in the underground.

If we think the city as a cake with horizontal layers, we could add new ones, up and down. If we were to grow towards the sky, we could follow Yona Friedman’s Ville
Spatiale, or Arata Isozaki’s City in the Air. On the other hand, if we were to go below the level of the sea, we could even follow one ancient example: Capadocia.

The idea is to create new layers without losing

communication with the existing city. There
will be points working as prosthesis,
replacements for areas that have taken too
much damage. Prosthesis will allow the
renewal of the existing city, the conversion
from the almost-obsolete, corrupted city
towards a new, prosperous and democratic
city.

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2. Capacity for continuos growth and replacement of structures

Here, in the spirit of metabolists, we could think of a city that is ready to grow when needed, allowing structures to add up to the
existing ones. You can picture some Nagakin-Tower-like infrastructure or similar to Safdie’s Habitat 67.

The continuous growth idea is indeed an extension of the first idea. The new layers of the city
could grow and extend as branches, adding new structures whenever it is needed. The growth
could take any direction, and any rate. However, this all should be, to some point, predicted.

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3. Open data for citizens to make decisions about the city and its infrastructure

The city could be technically prepared to grow and adapt, but someone must make the decisions. Government
alone could not do it since it would lead to dictatorship. Citizens alone could not do it either since it would lead to
anarchy. Decisions and actions should be made in joint effort by both citizens and government.

Data should be gathered

through technology but with
the help of citizens. Everyday,
citizens should contribute, in a
way that is efficient but not
intrusive. (For example, school
of Architecture of ETH Zurich
is developing some backpacks
that help gather data)

A footnote: decisions should be

taken not by machines, but by
humans, conscious beings.
Relying much in the technology
we created, could end up, as
many histories tells us —1984 by
George Orwell or Brave New
World by Aldous Huxley— very
bad.

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