IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section B

Abstract

The global population faces high-impact challenges. While the earth is continuing to heat up, this has potential devastating consequences for the water availability, the loss of biodiversity, rise in prolonged heatwaves, and sea level rise. Several of these challenges are pertinent to Monterrey, Mexico (drought, heat, biodiversity, and floods). In our research we identify the drivers of the past regenerative landscape, by mapping the regional urban–rural heritage. We make use of the backtracking methodology to find a period when the region was in a regenerative equilibrium and transit this to guide and inspire the creation of regenerative solutions of the future. The regional planning is based on combining concepts retrieved from landscape-first, nature-driven, the sumbiopolis and eco-cathedral thinking. These concepts are then applied to the Greater Monterrey Metropolis to reversing drought, biodiversity loss, heat and devastating floods. The outcomes sketch a biopositive region in which water, ecology, energy, materials, carbon, and biomass replenish the natural conditions. Vernacular solutions are illustrated through regional spatial analyses, designs at the metropolitan and local scale. This way the definition of a regenerative long-term future is following the characteristics region by connecting urban architectural history with future oriented landscape architecture.