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Landscape and Heritage

Requalification Methodologies for Rural Areas
Goals (topics)

The present curricular unit aims to develop an analysis and diagnosis methodology of the territory according to an integrated vision of landscape. This methodology will be based on integrative strategies of sustainable requalification for rural areas and their built heritage in the study cases located of Sotavento Algarvio (Coastal Area Landscape), considering:
a) Study of the human settlement appropriations of the territory, taking into account the analysis of their ecological and cultural systems to identify the reasons of rural exodus;
b) Determine the potential land-uses related to the rural farming (agriculture, forestry and nature conservation) and the self-eco-construction according to the integrative solutions of conversion, recovery and requalification of heritage;

Programmatic contents / Programme

Portugal have been difficult to understand. The problem of the depopulation not only has resulted in the emigration of people to the other countries, but also from rural to coastal areas, particularly between the countryside and the city. Thus the rural areas that previously had an important role in the national economy, have been abandoned and depopulated. On the other hand, the coastline has been overpopulated disfiguring urban areas both at heritage and landscape levels. In order to resolve this problem, the repopulation programs for rural areas should consider the paradigm of countryside’s return, not in a nostalgic way, but mainly according to a strategy of inhabiting the land. In this sense, the present curricular unit suggests to develop the following work program to set up an integrative approach of the territory:
a) Understand the Landscape-System methodology, recognizing the Landscape as a system of the systems;
b) Discussion of the Landscape, Heritage, Morphology, Conversion, Recovery and Requalification concepts;
c) Stimulate multidisciplinary approaches of sustainability;
d) Study of rural settlement’s problems in Coastal Areas Landscape;
e) Know the territorial management institutions, authorities and tools;
f) Develop alternative analysis, interpretation and monitoring methodology of territory;
g) Apply the methodology developed in selected study cases;
h) Develop a small architectural intervention in the rural area;

Compentencies to be acquired by students

According to the Landscape-System methodology, which recognizes the Landscape as a system of systems, the students will develop a field mission work to the study cases and a bibliographic, photography and cartographic research, not only about the history, society and economy of the regions, but also of the ecological systems (morphology, hydrography, soil, geology and climate) overlapping with the cultural systems (roads, buildings, infrastructures and heritage), according to the analysis of current territorial management instruments (national, regional and local scale, public or private scope).
On the other hand, it will be studied the processes of the human settlements and its potential resources to solve the community needs, thus identifying the landscape suitability and making new land-uses proposals. When the students have set up a diagnosis of the urban occupations effects, they could know the landscape vulnerabilities and capabilities in order to develop a new rural repopulating strategy for the studied villages.
The students, who have completed the work program successfully, according to the methodology related with Global Landscape, Landscape Units and Regional-City concepts, will get the skills to develop a rural requalification proposal according to both ecological and cultural approaches. Therefore, it will ensure the livelihoods for a local community and increase the economic competitiveness of the region based on integrated management of resources.

Main Bibliography
  • Araújo, I.,“O essencial sobre o litoral português”, Colecção Essencial 23, Lisboa: Imprensa Nacional - Casa da Moeda, Lisboa, 1985;

  • Barros, J. C.,“Realidade e Ilusão no Turismo Português: Das Práticas do Termalismo à Invenção do Turismo de Saúde”, Instituto Superior Ciências Sociais e Políticas, Lisboa, 2008;

  • Barros, J. C.,“A Projecção do Quotidiano no Turismo e no Lazer: O lugar dos Actores dos Contextos e dos Paradigmas”, Instituto Superior Ciências Sociais e Políticas, Lisboa, 2004;

  • Capel, H.,“La Morfologia de las ciudades”, Barcelona: Serbal, 2002;

  • Covas, A. & M. A.,“Caminho da 2.ª Ruralidade”. Ed. Colibri. Lisboa. 2012;

  • Covas, A. & M. A.,“A Grande Transição - Pluralidade e Diversidade no Mundo Rural”. Ed. Colibri, Lisboa, 2011;

  • Desantes, J. M.,“Teoría y técnica de la investigación científica”, Madrid: Síntesis, 1996;

  • Freitas, J.,“O litoral português na época contemporânea: representações, práticas e consequências. Os casos de Espinho e do Algarve (c. 1851 a c. de 1990)”. Doutoramento em História. Especialidade de História Contemporânea. Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa, 2010;

  • Iria, A.,“Da Importância geo-política do Algarve, na defesa marítima de Portugal, nos séculos XV a XVIII”, Lisboa: Academia Portuguesa de História, 1976;

  • Lampreia, D.,“Por uma Política de Paisagem. A Propósito da Convenção Europeia da Paisagem” in SERRÃO, A. (coord.) Filosofia e Arquitectura da Paisagem. Um Manual. Centro de Filosofia da Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa, 2012;

  • Magalhães, M.R. (coord.),“Estrutura Ecológica Nacional. Uma Proposta de Delimitação e Regulamentação”. CEAP-ISA-ULisboa, ISAPress, Lisboa, 2013;

  • Magalhães, M.R. (coord.),“Estrutura Ecológica da Paisagem: conceitos e delimitação, escala regional e local”, CEAP-ISA-UTL. ISAPress, Lisboa, 2007;

  • Magalhães, M.R.,A Arquitectura Paisagista – morfologia e complexidade. Editorial Estampa, Lda. Lisboa, 2001;

  • McLoughlin, J. B.,“Urban & regional planning: A Systems Approach”, Londres: Faber and Faber, 1970;

  • Moreira, C. D.,“Comunidades Azuis: características e Perspectivas da Frota da Pesca Local Portuguesa”, Instituto Superior Ciências Sociais e Políticas, Lisboa, 2004;

  • Moreira, C. D.,“Populações marítimas em Portugal”, Lisboa: Instituto Superior Ciências Sociais e Políticas, 1987;

  • Norberg-Schulz, C.,“Genius loci: paysage ambiance architecture”, Bruxelas: Deuxiéme Édition, 1981; 

  • Peralta, E.,“A Memória do Mar - Património, Tradição e (Re)imaginação Identitária na Contemporaneidade”, Lisboa: Instituto Superior Ciências Sociais e Políticas, 2008;

  • Ribeiro, O.,“Origem e evolução do urbanismo em Portugal” in Revista do Centro de Estudos Geográficos: Lisboa, 1945;

  • Rosa, I., Ribeiro, R.    “O Desempenho da Paisagem enquanto Construção da Arquitetura de Tradição em Portugal”. in DoCo 2012 – Documentazione e Conservazione del Patrimonio Architettonico ed Urbano. Vol. 5. Bologna, 2013;

  • Serrão, A. V. (coord.)    “Filosofia da Paisagem. Uma Antologia”, Centro de Filosofia da Universidade de Lisboa: Lisboa, 2011

Additional Bibliography
  • CCDRC    Programas de Valorização Económica dos Recursos Endógenos (PROVERE), Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Centro, 2010;

  • Pires, R. (Coord.), “Relatório Estatístico de Emigração Portuguesa”. Observatório da Emigração e Rede Migra Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia (CIES-IUL), 2014;

  • UNESCO, “Convenção para a Protecção do Património Mundial, Cultural e Natural.” 17ª Sessão da Conferência Geral de Paris, 1972António Maria Marques Mexia

2015/2016 academic year's final presentations, in the municipalities of:

  • Castro Marim

  • Faro

  • Olhão

  • São Brás de Alportel

  • Tavira

  • Vila Real de Santo António

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