Threaded City: Weaving Culture, Movement, and Memory Across Harlem

This proposal reimagines Harlem as a network of interlaced programmatic ribbons—each thread a spatial system for culture, housing, economy, mobility, and wellness. Inspired by jazz’s improvisational structure, the design stitches together East Harlem, Central Harlem, and Morningside Heights into a rhythmic, inclusive, and adaptive urban fabric. Rooted in both historical memory and future speculation, Threaded City integrates adaptive technologies like AI-responsive infrastructure, water capture ribbons, and mobility-on-demand systems. Designed to confront climate vulnerability, especially flood risk, the proposal threads resilience into daily life, transforming Harlem into a dynamic ecosystem where equity, culture, and innovation coalesce.