10  Future City of the Past

Alex Yuen

A representational study of Daegu, South Korea, unpacks its story as a diminishing metropolis. Once being the third-largest urban agglomeration in the country, the city has been subject to decline in population over the years. In an attempt to revitalize the city, the city government has been promoting urban developments, sustainable transportation systems, and international conferences; however, the reality has not been so promising.

Most estates in Daegu are used for high-end residential tower complexes to maximize developer profit. And the implementation of the monotrail has proven to be inadequate to the particular urban characteristics of the city. The four images, each from the perspective of an analyst, a birdseye, a visitor, and a local, address the issue of futile development that begins to greatly alter the reading of a city’s context at various scales.

The [New] Image of the City  |  2022 Spring