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Abstract
This thesis is a study of the recent shifts in the design of the urban surface. The urban surface refers to the ground-plane of the city, the active and dynamic field that supports all the activities of the city. In particular, this study is concerned with how the urban surface can be designed to diversify the activities that take place on it. To answer the question of how, this thesis embarks on a study of recent projects in landscape urbanism and examines the methods they use to manipulate the surface. The goal of this thesis is to extract design strategies-a summary of the more productive principles- from a variety of urban projects. These strategies become guides and a new vocabulary for designing the surface. The strategies are illustrated through a series of seven designs.