Abstract

SANTOS, João Rafael. Infrastructural spaces and vacancy: diachronic traces in the shaping of Lisbon’s metropolitan territory. Finisterra [online]. 2018, n.108, pp.135-159. ISSN 0430-5027.  https://doi.org/10.18055/Finis12057.

Lisbon’s metropolitan territory was shaped by a complex interaction between its physiographic and hydrographic features and the laying of multiple infrastructural networks, namely roads, railroads, ports and landfills, various boundaries and military facilities. This interaction resulted in interfacial spaces with various types of urban fabric. The cartographic interpretation of these interfacial spaces provides insight into the logics underlying their contribution to wider territorial processes, namely those of addition, juxtaposition, persistence, subtraction and demolition. This resulted in fragmented and splintered spaces, remains of structures lost in the wake of technological and functional changes, discontinued in both in space and time. Many became today’s vacant spaces; they are realms of opportunity for topical and transitional interventions, unanticipated by formal rationales. In this context, the paper provides a reading of the processes of infrastructural development of the metropolitan territory of Lisbon, focusing on port and industrial land and the belt structures defined by military perimeters, ring transportation and major urban facilities.

Keywords : Infrastructures; vacant spaces; metropolitan areas; Lisbon.

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