Project by: Geethika T S, Vera Sofia Leon, Atharv Bhole, Guoguo Chen
This project rethinks safety in the Tijuana canyons by shifting from reactive emergency response to long-term, context-adaptive prevention. Instead of treating self-built settlements as temporary problems to be removed, it recognizes them as communities-in-formation with the right to safety, infrastructure, and dignified living. Through slope stabilization, drainage, vegetation, terrace gardens, and alternative mobility networks, the proposal seeks to strengthen the land while supporting everyday life. At the same time, it imagines gradual pathways toward land security and collective resilience, allowing these communities not only to remain, but to grow, adapt, and thrive.
