GENERATING SYNERGIES: Reimagining Post-Industrial Waterfront as a Sustainable Live-Work-Play Community

Abstract

The Earth’s climate has changed throughout history, but the current rate of change is unprecedented and largely driven by human activities like fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and industrial processes. These release greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, trap heat from the sun, causing the planet to warm. Power plants, particularly those fueled by fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, are major contributors to climate change. Their operations emit a significant amount of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide, and they are responsible for around 27% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Such environmental concerns and the comparably short lifespan of the infrastructure has led to an increasing number of abandoned facilities. In response to these issues, this thesis proposes a radical transformation: repurposing abandoned power plants as an epicenter of clean energy innovation and environmental research. Transformed from symbols of pollution, the structures now serve as catalysts for change, unpacking the narrative shift from degraded wastelands to a seed of a sustainable future. The key lies not just in technology but in the collective efforts of diverse minds and backgrounds. Through a vibrant co-working space, interconnecting engineers, scientists, and community members, their expertise harmonizes to create synergies, leading to solutions that mitigate the severity of climate change.