Performative Urbanism Studio at Veritas University investigates and develops tools that can be used for the projection of alternative futures in emerging territories. We studied relevant aspects of the environment such as climate, natural hazards, topography and infrastructure, to determine how these affect the development and evolution of cities.

A Proposal for a holistic development scheme in Santa Cruz, Costa Rica. A place that is now undergoing a process of transition from an economy focused on the agricultural and livestock sectors to specialize mainly in the tourism industry. The coastal model for development focuses on the interaction between rural and urban communities. Aiming to promote a transitional scape between the touristic, industrial and agricultural areas, the model includes programmatic structures that connect the prominent coastal growth with the inland local assets.

Santa Cruz produces 50% of the national livestock, 45.8% of the sugar, and accounts for 53% of the nations food demand. The food industry in Santa Cruz has been affected by drastic climate conditions, caused by increased temperatures, water scarcity and land erosion. The leading industry has decreased by 19% during the 2009-2010 period, generating great financial losses. On the other hand, tourism is attracting investors and activating a process of proletarianization of the local population.

Through the dynamic modeling of urban growth we established a set of new policies that allows a sustainable development for the city.The proposal of forward-looking models in accordance to generated information opens the possibility for a multi scalar exploration to establish different kinds of interventions that should be carried out in the region.