RETROFIT +: Adapting Infrastructure for Green Futures in the Rio Grande

Design Team: Shelby Horton, Davis Bednorz, Camryn Coogler, Paige Langum, Joelle Sanders, Roger Hill, Jordan Huntley and Walter Segovia

Instructor: Hope Hui Rising

Statement: Conflict along the southern border in the Rio Grande Watershed has occurred for generations. The proposed framework plan targets the watershed region that stretches from Colorado to northern Mexico. The framework intends to restructure and retrofit existing infrastructure to minimize carbon emission and facilitate large-scale climate migration while promoting bi-national pride and environmental preservation.

Fort Stockton is selected to host evacuation-related housing and transportation infrastructure because of its central location within the region. In order to maximize mobility for a massive amount of people impacted by widespread inundation scenarios, we will retrofit the existing interstates with high-speed rails to provide fast connections between major cities and Fort Stockton. To facilitate circulation around Fort Stockton without reliance on personal vehicles, there will be an Intra-City Magnet Train, powered by biofuel produced from algae. This multi-modal transportation system will allow people to move about the evacuation town and access the proposed spaceports nearby in the event of a last-resort scenario of evacuation from Earth.

The El Paso relocation center will become a new home for evacuees from inundation and natural disasters associated with solar storms and polar reversal. The relocation site’s design focuses on creating a self-sufficient community that provides its own renewable energy, food production, and water system. The Biodome job corps centers will provide jobs, vocational training, and essential amenities like groceries, health services, and schools. Nearby croplands, land bridges, and the Franklin Mountains serve as critical flyover and roosting sites for protecting migratory species impacted by climate extremes.