A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Vacant land in city: potential functional, ecological and aesthetic role in the urban landscape
The growth of contemporary cities has been accompanied by the appearance of forgotten and abandoned spaces, as well as derelict structures that are part of a broad category of neglected and unoccupied spaces within cities. This situation which arises for economic reasons, property speculation, and the consequent expansion of the suburbs has become an important topic subject, as can be seen from the international bibliographical review about the “reuse” of vacant land and derelict structures in cities. Traditionally urban planning dealt with growth which was the centre of attention. Modern urban planning arose in the 19th century associated with the need to find suitable housing for a growing urban population, and it retained this function over almost the entire 20th century. Although during that period there were some amounts of ruins that urban planners had to cope with, such destruction was occasional and scattered, linked to cataclysms or other exceptional circumstances. In the final quarter of the 20th century urban planners were faced with situations that had been unknown in the lives of cities. Suddenly they found that not only the central areas of agglomerations but also entire urban regions were losing residents and businesses instead of growing. These “perforated/random” abandoned or vacant spaces are a potential challenge when it comes to assigning them new “functions”. Most of these spaces house ecological formations. Some are the remnants of gardens or derelict green structures that survive over time and very often also perform a social role, but usually underperforming. This study seeks to raise awareness of the aesthetic, functional and ecological qualities that these abandoned spaces can bring to a city and discuss ways of integrating them into the urban landscape that go beyond the conventional urban restoration models but rather represent alternative intervention solutions that may be applied permanently or temporarily. The refurbishing or reorganising of these spaces will strength the urban ...
Vacant land in city: potential functional, ecological and aesthetic role in the urban landscape
The growth of contemporary cities has been accompanied by the appearance of forgotten and abandoned spaces, as well as derelict structures that are part of a broad category of neglected and unoccupied spaces within cities. This situation which arises for economic reasons, property speculation, and the consequent expansion of the suburbs has become an important topic subject, as can be seen from the international bibliographical review about the “reuse” of vacant land and derelict structures in cities. Traditionally urban planning dealt with growth which was the centre of attention. Modern urban planning arose in the 19th century associated with the need to find suitable housing for a growing urban population, and it retained this function over almost the entire 20th century. Although during that period there were some amounts of ruins that urban planners had to cope with, such destruction was occasional and scattered, linked to cataclysms or other exceptional circumstances. In the final quarter of the 20th century urban planners were faced with situations that had been unknown in the lives of cities. Suddenly they found that not only the central areas of agglomerations but also entire urban regions were losing residents and businesses instead of growing. These “perforated/random” abandoned or vacant spaces are a potential challenge when it comes to assigning them new “functions”. Most of these spaces house ecological formations. Some are the remnants of gardens or derelict green structures that survive over time and very often also perform a social role, but usually underperforming. This study seeks to raise awareness of the aesthetic, functional and ecological qualities that these abandoned spaces can bring to a city and discuss ways of integrating them into the urban landscape that go beyond the conventional urban restoration models but rather represent alternative intervention solutions that may be applied permanently or temporarily. The refurbishing or reorganising of these spaces will strength the urban ...
Vacant land in city: potential functional, ecological and aesthetic role in the urban landscape
Soares, A.L. (author) / Azambuja, Sónia Talhé (author) / Brito-Henriques, Eduardo (author) / Simões, Ana Rita (author)
2018-05-30
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
Vacant land in city: potential functional, ecological and aesthetic role in the urban landscape
| BASE | 2017
Vacant land: The new urban green?
| Elsevier | 2013
The Public Value of Urban Vacant Land: Social Responses and Ecological Value
| DOAJ | 2016
Assessing the Urban Vacant Land Potential for Infill Housing: A Case Study in Oklahoma City, USA
| DOAJ | 2023