Spring 2019, Arch 100D – Migrations

In any given year, 14% of Americans move domestically. To some degree, we persist as a migratory nation transfixed on finding the new, the next, or the other side. Domestic migrations in large part today are motivated by choice. History, on the other hand, suggests migrations are linked to and necessary for survival, and today we are witnessing higher frequencies based on many adverse global conditions. Increasingly, regional populations are forced without choice to uproot due to civil strife as well as an environmental catastrophe. This is especially true if we examine recent climactically charged events (the Northern California wildfires) or sociopolitical struggle in unsettled regions (wars of the Middle East). We can surmise that volatile global conditions will exacerbate migrations and we will continue to witness increasing events into the foreseeable future. Migrations studio will speculate on alternative assistance for migrants. We may ask: can cities establish augmented systems in support of flow patterns?