| This thesis examines whether the railway cut in the South End of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada could be developed as an urban strategy as a means to enhance regional identity and to create a sense of place.; The railway cut extends across the peninsula just above the northern portion of the Northwest Arm and ends at the Ocean Terminals in the South End. This narrow valley created by necessity has an inherent spatial and functional order that can serve as potential raw material for architectural design at the same time, creating a new layer of urban landmarks, spaces and connections.; Changing economic, industrial and employment patterns requires us to consider the re-use of ill-defined links which are produced by modern transport networks. Rail abandonment has occurred since the beginning of the railway era in response to local adjustments in business activities. Given modern environmental concerns and planning restrictions, one could never recreate these corridors today. The value of these abandoned lines as continuous recreational corridors is recognized as a valid approach by communities in reclaiming the lost spaces. They also have the potential for integrating community and creating connections between neighbouring districts.; A section along the railway cut that lies between two universities was chosen as a site to investigate the topography and the urban conditions. It is within this context where residential, institutional and landscape meet that a program has been developed and synthesized into architecture. |
