Interstitial Field: Socio-spatial narratives of (dis)connection in Ponte de Lima

André Saraiva

The present dissertation addresses the urban structure of Ponte de Lima, based on the actions and appropriations of children in the town spaces. It is intended to understand how the spatial and temporal relations develop, using the act of child's play as a methodology of connection between the lived places.

Through the investigated socio-spatial narratives it's intended to represent and compare the integration of the child in the common routine of the village and the ways of appropriation of the public space. The dissertation is structured in three chapters: Reminiscências da infância presents the author's childhood as a methodology of exploration of the territory, demonstrating the autonomy and capacity of connection and interaction instilled by the act of playing; Perspetivas do presente collects the narratives of children from school 1, who currently inhabit the town and the relationships and appropriations they create in the territory; Finally, Conectar explains the child's temporal and spatial differences in the appropriation of the village's public

space, with the aim of stimulating the potential for connection between places and people, activating children's routines and stimulating the experience of Ponte de Lima territory.

The research method traced compares the spatial narratives of the author and his friends with the children currently living in the town of Ponte de Lima, thus allowing to identify the socio-spatial transformation of the town, having as its central agent the child. Thus, it is intended to emphasize the relevance of the role of children in society, and in questioning the public space and its dynamics.