Urban design of the Vila-Praça (Brazil): an alternative of sustainable urban fabric for brazilian cities

Abstract

The aim is to explore the urban design alternatives to the traditional urban fabric of Brazilian cities. The research begins with the comprehension of how public policies interfere in urban design, and presents the case of Vila-Praça, an urban project carried out by a partnership between the university and public management, with focus on multifunctional and multiscalar solutions in order to build a new model of urban fabric. It summarizes the methodological boundaries that integrate interdisciplinary knowledge. It discusses the institutional challenges for its implementation and, in conclusion, builds the main argument that urban projects formulated with criticism to the current problems have potential to innovate through sustainable solutions. Methodologically, this article is exploratory in nature, works with definitions of urban fabric definitions and originates from the concept of “disrupted cities” (Grahan, 2010), whose emphasis is on demonstrating how the collapse of the urban infrastructure occurs in view of the recent transformations (climate change, urban sprawl, lack of resources, etc.) and presents new strategies to overcome them, justifying the design proposal presented.