In the context of contemporary urbanisation, discussions about enclaves continue to emerge in urban theory, whether in the form of gated communities, quasi-sovereign ‘states within states’, or mono-functional, inward-facing developments. While these spatial configurations may differ in form and scale, they share common traits: segregation, control, self-referentiality and disconnection from the public realm.
This article considers the presence of transport nodes in the city where several types of transport interchange. These nodes become a new type of urban centrality with a contradictory condition: despite offering maximum accessibility, they are often self-oriented, self-sufficient and closed to the city. The study focuses on three contemporary authors — Lieven De Cauter, Marcel Smets and Kelly Shannon — who despite their methodological differences, share a common academic background and sustained critique of the modernist legacy of infrastructure. Through the authors’ positions and the examples discussed, this article aims to contribute to the critical discussion on the integration of these structures into the city, moving beyond their engineering function as buildings for vehicles.
Methodologically, this paper will adopt the authors’ perspective on infrastructure spaces as transportation nodes, examining case studies referred to by the authors themselves to determine the spatial factors that give rise to enclave characteristics in these examples. The aim is to provide a critical view by interweaving the authors’ discourses and offering an original perspective on the encapsulation of transport nodes.
Bibliography
- De Cauter, L. (2004) The Capsular Civilization: On the City in the Age of Fear. Rotterdam: NAi Publishers.
- Shannon, K., Smets, M. (2010) The Landscape of Contemporary Infrastructures, Rotterdam: NAi Publishers.
- Smets, M. (2022) Foundations of Urban Design. New York: Actar Publishers and Public Space.
