A EN13 e a A28 no eixo Porto-Vila do Conde - Correlação e possibilidades. Vila de Conde como caso de estudo

Abstract

This thesis reflects upon various pertinent questions that referred to the territory between Vila do Conde and Porto and the role of the most important road networks that serve it. Understand the causes, the effects and the opportunities resulting from the strong relation between this cities and what is the role of the principal roads that connect them are the main premises to this work. This master's dissertation, therefore, will be about the main road axes that establish the connection between Porto and its coastline extension to North, arriving to the city of Vila do Conde, recognizing its most distinctive characteristics, its correspondent paths and sections, as well as the spatial relations and produced effects in the surrounding environment. The relevance of this analysis, which materializes around the reading and comprehension of these road connections, it's due, also, to the high population density existent in this strip and to its high interest as a area of implantation of different activities. As so, there was an attempt to understand the established relation between this heterogenic urban occupation and its main connection roads, as the Estrada Nacional 13 (EN13) and the former Itinerário Complementar 1 (IC1), nowadays Auto-Estrada 28 (A28). These correlation systems, which cannot be used up in the isolated analysis of a town or a county, translate in the analysed roads. Under the prosecuted investigation, it was also of relevance, understand the reverse relation, looking to understand the way these roads provide the realization and enhance of this urban and economics axes between the different urban settlements covered by them. Therefore, it was decided to reflect upon the effects of this road connections in a particular and limited territory, and for that effect, it was chosen the municipality of Vila do Conde.