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Abstract(s)
The water fronts are sensitive areas, not only in environmental terms but also considering the continuity requirements with cities. Usually the spatial planning rules for the places of contact in between the urban fabric and water are focused on building issues and urban development questions rather than of ecological approaches. In this sense, this article aims to present solutions of rethinking the territories of contact in between cities and water fronts, having as pivotal concern, ecological solutions, friendly to the environment. The presented urban project is a requalification solution in order to promote the urban continuity from the buildings to the water, focused on river activities, sports and the preservation of architectural heritage.
The urban project solution has as case study, a small town in the central region of Portugal, which is very well known by its thermal baths, with roman roots. The city of São Pedro do Sul is a very pleasant place for holidays, being visited for those who are looking for improving their health condition going to the Thermal Care Centre, or the contact with nature going to the water front of Vouga river. This is a low-density place, where the majority of constructions are single houses, and the main architectural landmark is the old train station, a building from the 19 th century. Nowadays, there are no more trains arriving to São Pedro do Sul and the train track line is working as an ecological corridor for pedestrians and bicycles. However, besides this effort of improving the local environmental conditions, the contact of the city with the river is yet badly considered. There are still lots of urban voids, buildings in bad status of conservation or a lack of diversity and facilities in functional terms. The urban projects were designed in an academic background, comprising several teams of international students coming from Portugal, Greece, Brazil, Slovakia, Lithuania and Poland. A pioneer teaching methodology was tested at the Urban Planning Unit of the Master Degree in Architecture at the University of Beira Interior, as a result of an agreement with the local authority. The students were organized in groups in order to propose the urban design projects to the Train Station surroundings, ensuring the continuity of the urban fabric with the Vouga water front. The best projects won several pecuniary prizes, sponsored by the city hall, which was a stimulus for students along to the designing process. The conclusions show that the presented solution was concerned with strategies to preserve and to enhance the ecological identity of the place. This article will present the contents, options and solutions of the best urban project, designed by a team of students from Brazil and Portugal considered by the jury as the most ecological proposal, friendly of the natural features.
Description
Keywords
Planning cities Water fronts Urban projects International team São Pedro do Sul Vouga river