‘The Kerinchi 40' connected the M40 and the B40 (Year 4 Semester 2 Studio)

Design statement

The implementation of mixed income living has a lot of practical significance. It's quite a difficult task for any city to set aside a great deal of land to develop low-income housing. Even if it's accomplished, new challenges such as the building of public facilities suitable for the new area will emerge as well.

“The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer"--caused by separate living. Encouraging mixed income living, rather than intensifying efforts to hold back polarization and reducing or even eliminating poverty is more likely to make the government ignore the living situations of low-income earners.

Low-income earners will also gradually feel like living in a different world compared to high-income earners. With psychological distance growing all the time, it results in separation for the whole of society. From the viewpoints of both land supply and social harmony, it's necessary to advocate a city development model that promotes integration.

Besides that, mixed living will enable the rich and the poor to have equal access to the same public facilities. It can reduce complaints about any wealth gaps and ensure the dignity of low-income earners. Also, it promotes communication and integration between both groups, which helps form good social tendencies and reduces crime. Therefore, "mixed living" is worth a try.

The most important issue is: Do low-income earners share equal rights with high-income earners? Wealth can be a sign of success but can't be the reason for different rights. Only equal rights ensure the dignity of low-income earners in their daily lives and enables them to avoid any sense of inferiority from lacking money. Only equal rights ensure low-income earners have chances for overall development and to make respectable amounts of money.