Urban Traditions can be a main classic concept in
planning research, raised with the famous Françoise Choay review of the
progressive and cultural approaches to urban theories (1965). After a half a
century, we certainly can understand both, the French and British utopias or realities,
and also many other different models of urban traditions, all over the world.
The post modern perspectives increased these studies, for example with the Leon
Krier’s books, and applied it to a several urban renewals, like Plessis
Robinson near Paris, or Dorchester in the United Kingdom.
In the Portuguese context, these classical analyses
were presented by Professors José Manuel Fernandes (1987), Manuel Costa Lobo
(2013) and Manuel Teixeira (2015), among others. A comparative perspective was
specially related to the orthogonal design of many Spanish cities in the
nineteen century (the Ensanches), in
their own tradition of roman establishments, promoted with the “Indian Laws”
for the new American towns in the Age of Colombo’s discoveries. The Portuguese
traditional cities are, on the contrary, irregular urban forms, raised upon the
landscape.
This urban culture appears also in South American cities,
major ones like Rio do Janeiro or small towns like Olinda in Recife, Brasil.
But the same tradition can be seen in Africa (Cabo Verde, Angola and
Mozambique, among others), and in Asia (like Goa in India or Macau in China). Its
characteristics are based on the public spaces, the small and irregular streets
and squares, his civic and austere architecture, considering also the respect
for the environment and the natural places.
The urban models are always a path to the evolution of
societies, but the world conscience for the limits of growth and the
sustainable discourse increases the relevance to develop the traditional art of
human settlements. This paper explores the Portuguese character of cities,
given by their singular heritage and townscape. It shows an approach needed to preserve
and renewal the urban cultures, facing the present challenges of great
uncertainty for the next generations.
Rui Florentino
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