IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section A
Abstract
Barcelona’s history of adaptation and expansion creates a framework for addressing challenges associated with increasing urban density in regard to quality of life and social equity. This paper explores the challenge of overcrowding in future cities, focusing on Barcelona, where population growth and tourism strain infrastructure, disrupting residents’ lives. It examines urban design’s role in navigating the city, emphasizing the stark divide between serene residential areas above and dense streets below. Barcelona’s current morphology traces a history of population growth, beginning with the Roman foundations, continuing through the industrial revolution, and culminating in the transformative 19th-century Eixample district. Historically, overcrowding was addressed through horizontal expansion, stitching new districts to the existing fabric. However, geographic realities—the Mediterranean coastline, mountains (Montserrat, etc.), and two rivers, constrain further development requiring a shift toward vertical strategies. To date, new vertical developments remain officially unlicensed due to building codes limiting heights, merged with rampant tourism, raising housing costs and overwhelming infrastructure, disrupting lives of residents. Building on Barcelona’s legacy of adaptation, this city’s history is examined to create a new framework to address the increase in population and propose a design envisioning a vertically integrated, layered urbanism that extends public life into and above existing buildings. This vertical stitching of private and public domains weaves amenities like shops and parks, through the residential zone of buildings as conceptual threads (circulation) and knots (gathering spaces). This vertical stitching revitalizes urban life, diffusing pollution and creates new pathways while preserving street-level vibrancy. Rooted in Barcelona’s tradition of layering
and innovation, this vision proposes a dynamic urban tapestry.
Educated at the University of Virginia and Princeton University Michael Hughes is a Professor of Architecture at the American University of Sharjah. His academic work is focused on small, unremarkable, and often forgotten places adjacent to the lives of underserved people. Located in the boundary between architecture, urbanism, and landscape his projects seek to create experiential delight out of small-scale design opportunities that augment existing infrastructures, provide pragmatic functions, promote play, and exhibit a social and environmental conscience.
Nuhaila AlHemeiri is a fifth-year architecture student interested in product design, focusing on incorporating local materials into modern architecture. Her work emphasizes sustainability and eco-friendly solutions while honoring cultural heritage through installations and artistic designs. By blending tradition and innovation, she enhances cultural understanding through her designs, providing a practical and creative perspective on contemporary architecture.
Amelia Janajreh, an aspiring architect and student at the American University of Sharjah, merges cultural identity with modern architecture in her designs. Focusing on urban design and sustainability, her work spans futuristic concepts and practical solutions, experimenting with weaving, watercolors, stencils, and 3D software. Inspired by cities like Barcelona and Dubai, she seeks to bridge tradition and innovation, designing urban spaces that address modern
challenges. Through her diverse background, she aims to reimagine cities to have a more inclusive and sustainable future.
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Wednesday 9th July, 2025