O Rio como ator e autor do território: Uma reflexão a propósito do Rio Torto

Abstract

This work seeks, through an analysis based on personal and daily coexistence, to interpret issues related to the authorship and action of the forces of nature and the geography built by man within what we consider the urban environment. The aim is to provide critical thinking focused on the natural and artificial objects that constitute the relationship between these two parts and to understand what results in their dynamics, authorship, identity, belonging and the spaces that are produced there. The main reason behind this work lies in a watercourse that crosses the Campanhã Valley, in the eastern region of the city of Porto. The so-called Torto River was my main object of study during the fifth year of my studies with the MIArq at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto - FAUP and, through this approach, I was able to perceive an indissoluble relationship between the geography of the place, the river and the community that has developed in its images over the last few decades. In addition to analysis/criticism, the work aims to take a prospective look at the area, even if in a simple or even provocative way, with a view to finding small solutions that dignify the area and, above all, the river itself. In the course of this work, it will be inevitable to revisit and exemplify some experiences from the last five years. During this time I have lived in Porto, Venice and Munich and I believe that although my interest in geography as a natural element and the city as something humanly constructed was born in Porto, the other two cities have played an essential role in shaping my perception and critical thinking on this subject. In these reports, I also share experiences lived in places where nature itself dictates profound rules and social organization of spaces, such as the Austrian Alps and the city of Rio de Janeiro.