During the twentieth century, many East Asian cities experienced intense urban growth due to political, technological, and economic changes. Rising population densities pushed city boundaries into previously undeveloped land. This rapid growth should not be overlooked as simply chaotic; cities confronted by challenging topographical conditions adapted and found distinct strategies to expand.

This exhibition examines the peripheral conditions of urban growth over time in three cities: Busan, Hong Kong and Osaka. As three cities with similar population densities and areas, mapping their growth begins to reveal how topography has shaped each urban landscape. At the turn of the twentieth century, all three cities began as relatively flat waterfront developments. Often while new expansions avoided the most disadvantageous topographical conditions, over time, urbanization extended into sloped terrain and later expanded into new town developments. In response, different spatial strategies emerged to increase buildable area: terracing ground for individual buildings in Busan, building vertically in Hong Kong, and leveling ground for entire neighborhoods in Osaka. 

The cultural implications of living on the slopes varied depending on the geographic and socio-economic forces that drove growth in each city. These topographies now define land use patterns and infrastructural conditions that the cities continue to maintain and adapt. Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan has rebranded its slopes as a quaint setting for tourism, Mid-levels in Hong Kong continues to develop vertically in a competitive real estate market, and Nankadai in Osaka developed transportation systems that carries its aging population around its slopes.

Through cartography, topographical models and sectional case studies, this exhibition explores how each city adapted to topography which reveals how cultural and technological shifts parallel the histories of urban growth.