Vale do Lima Railway. Backbone of a New Urbanity

Olavo Franco

Within the area of study of City and Territory, the following research which the case of study is Vale do Lima Railway, a designed railway, some of it constructed , but never opened to public. To understand the design of it, is necessary to focus a study in the relationship of the drawing of the railway path and the features of the Lima valley territory between the city of Viana do Castelo and the town of Ponte de Lima. Nowadays the dismantle railway marks the landscape with places without function that are considered residual places that should have an important role in the territory and this research wants to expose them.

Through the imaginary of the Vale do Lima Railway has an active infrastructure for collective transportation this investigation wants to understand this places and (re)activates a system for the connection of new centralities. To imagine the development of small urban centers marked by the presence of halts or train stations and equipments for citizens support.

To (re)think the territory having the Vale do Lima Railway as a backbone of the development of new urbanities that aim the priority of the pedestrian above the vehicle and the density over the dispersed form of the suburban areas of the Lima riverside.