Crescer no Bairro do Cerco do Porto: Uma proposta de redesenho do espaço público

Abstract

This dissertation aims to analyze and reflect on the stance of a child born into a reality of social vulnerability within a specific space, understanding how this space contaminates and/or shapes the course of their childhood. For this purpose, the public space of the Bairro do Cerco do Porto emerges as the object of study, confronting problems but also serving as a foundation for redesign solutions that transcend its boundaries. The Bairro do Cerco do Porto was constructed under the Improvement Plan of 1956, representing an unprecedented initiative in the city of Porto. Due to the urgency of construction and the efficiency of responses, it embodies a pragmatism that materializes into a set of neighborhoods primarily built in peripheral areas of the city, bringing with it a harsh social reality for growth. This ultimately proves to be the seed for an endless chain of problems. Placing the neighborhood on the outskirts takes the residents along, blurring the line between the city walls and the walls of society. Spatial segregation transforms into social segregation, giving rise to the creation of stigmas and prejudices that immediately affect the lives of these children and shouldn't be expected in today's city. Here, the focus is on analyzing public space as a canvas that extends from the doorstep to the street without compromising comfort, and the child as a symbol of freedom, life, and a more prosperous future. The aim is to seek solutions that make the current city more democratic, healthier for the unfolding of childhood for its youngest residents, and ultimately do not allow room for the existence of stigmas. With this dissertation, I committed myself to delve into the issue, breaking down relational barriers and directly questioning the recipient of this project, not leaving room for non-participatory architecture. In the end, this purpose is reflected in a redesign proposal for the public space of Bairro do Cerco do Porto, where children are co-authors rather than just recipients of the project.