Street transformations

PhD RESEARCH

Street transformations towards mobility, social and urban nature spaces: concepts and practises.

Streets fulfil elementary functions such as circulation, the support of the built environment, for everyday life, countless activities and actions, and biodiversity. These functions, and some of the transformations that naturally occur in this space, are currently demanding new challenges, that require a reflection on the design and strategies to adapt the public domain, and the streets as linear and continuous spaces.

Reducing atmospheric pollution, creating climate-adaptive urban structures, integrating a diversified mobility network (active and shared mobility, public transport, logistics, etc.), planning urban proximity as a value that enhances the promotion of inclusive, safe and healthy environments and therefore the creation of liveable environments are some of the principles that are currently on political agendas in different contexts. Consequently, it influences the development of municipal plans and urban projects, with different approaches in which traffic planning is not the dominant feature of street design.

However, how are these plans conducted and implemented, and what new elements, tools and typologies are introduced into street design?

Thus, the research being conducted, proposes an investigation of street transformation processes, from an architectural and urban planning perspective, intending to surveying and analysing projects in a European context that have been implemented, over the last ten years, delving into the methodologies, procedures, tools, and design and construction principles that must attend to their multidimensionality and adaptability.

The research delivers a set of multi-case studies structured by an analytical framework, intending to launch design principles. The aim is to collect and describe how different specialities, approaches, techniques, materialities, and forms are considered when designing streets within a local approach.

Understanding the logics of change and improvement of existing streets will enlarge the knowledge on street design and planning, in academic terms, and for planners, politicians, organisations or even civil society.

PhD research Catarina Breia Dias.

This research project is funded by FCT. EAAD School of Architecture, Art and Design, University of Minho.