Integração, Adaptação, Reconversão. Planeamento urbano da orla costeira face à subida da água do mar no caso de Vila Chã

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation stems from personal interest in understanding the recent dynamics that devastate the Portuguese territory, particularly the coastal landscape, with the recent concerns in relation to coastal villages with the risks of rising sea water levels (foreseen by the reports of the International Panel on Climate Change, NASA, etc.) as well as the worsening coastal erosion identified by the Portuguese Environment Agency. In this way, the role of the architect as a re-organiser of urban space is reviewed, reflecting on how to prevent changes in a work process and the design of a final strategy, in order to protect the natural heritage, built heritage and the communities. In this way, the study of the national Coastal Shoreline Programme, which will be soon implemented in Northern Portugal, becomes essential. This programme is considered controversial because of its extreme and widespread way of acting (since it seems to devalue the objectives of local urbanism: in the Urban Rehabilitation Areas, where in the case of Vila Chã it is proposed the prevention of the architectural heritage and a rehabilitation of the public space relating it to the beach; or in the existing municipal master plan, allowing building where this programme proposes their eradication).The programme not only calls into question the displacement of the inhabitants of their area of residence, but also the disappearance of part of human relations with the territory. As it happens in Praia and Facho located in Vila Chã (limit of Vila do Conde), where the continuity of the artisanal fishing is hindered and part of the centennial landscape of the "sea houses" eradicated. As such, the Portuguese context and its situation aggravated by the lack of planning, with the intention of creating an intervention strategy, through the study of possible scenarios of action in the coastal territory, are discussed. Recognizing that an effective strategy does not only reflect on the technical aspects of risk mitigation as it may result in an acceptance by the population leading to stagnation of the process one one hand, or the extinction of the fishing community of Praia and Facho on the other, it is proposed to take a strategic view based on the preservation of local identity, valuing it in the same way that it integrates, adapts and reconvertes in a resilient territory, thus applying it to the practical case - Facho and Praia in Vila Chã.