New Design Approaches for Urban Voids: Developing a Framework for Analysing Innovative Projects in Terrain Vague Spaces
Event Title
Urban Planning & Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD) - 9th Edition
Year (definitive publication)
2024
Language
English
Country
Italy
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Abstract
In recent years, there has been a growing interest of researchers, academics, and architects in a new type
of spaces generated by the invasiveness of urbanization processes, the lack of an adequate scale of regional
planning and the cycles of sprawl and shirking. Many authors have attempted to define these spaces:
Terrain Vague, Vacant Land, Urban Voids, Wasteland or Brownfield, are just some of the terms used to
define and describe abandoned, underdeveloped, and unutilized urban spaces outside the productive
circuits of the city. In addition to the interest of the academic world, there is a growing emergence and
multiplication worldwide of alternative projects, practices and activities based precisely in these inbetween or terrain vague spaces, which aim to change and transform these spaces, but also to preserve and
enhance some of their intrinsic characteristics. In fact, by alterative projects, we refer to projects that on
the one hand act by transforming the space, but on the other hand preserve the value and potential of
terrain vague spaces, and that aim to address the challenges of cities and achieve sustainable urban
development. However, we think it is possible to state that there is a lack of systematic research with the
aim of collecting, analysing, and categorizing these emerging projects. The aim of this paper is the creation
of a theoretical framework to identify, collect and analyse alternative projects and practices emerging in
the Terrain Vague context, and the development of the characteristics to analyse for conducting a future
comparative analysis, to understand the differences, similarities, approaches, objectives, impacts,
strategies, challenges and difficulties. To achieve that, the paper proposes: i) a brief theoretical
introduction and definition of the concept of terrain vague and the ecological and social value of these
spaces; ii) Introduction to the concepts and theoretical lenses chosen as criteria to select alternative,
virtuous, and innovative projects, which can both enhance the values of terrain vague spaces and contribute
to urban challenges (urban commons, everyday urbanism, temporary urbanism); iii) Definition of the
characteristics and aspects to be analysed for conducting a comparative analysis of these innovative
projects (Scale/Duration, socio- ecological aims, level of participation, Existing/Flexibility).
Acknowledgements
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Keywords
Ecosystem Services Cultural Ecosystem Services Renaturalization of Cities Green Infrastructure Vertical Gardens,Ecosystem Services