I ABSTRACT
The chosen theme was the result of personal observations and examines the role of sustainable development in the urban context. Design solutions are leading to improving the quality of landscape as a response to unique circumstances and potential for the degraded land.
This study is motivated by two research questions: (1) how to improve the landscape crafting ecologically smart and socially significant new public space? (2) how biodiversity in urban structure need o be understood for creating future landscape? (Luengo Añón and Rössler 2012).
The selected area is located in Barcelona (Cataluña, Spain), near the Llobregat river and can be distinguished as highly degraded after times of economic growth of the city. Closeness to the river creates an opportunity to build a new relationship between city, agriculture, and river. Restore the ecological balance in this part is a priority. Therefore, starting point for the future concept is extracted the hidden potential of the site, which has a chance to become value place not only for people but also for wildlife.
II KEYWORDS
III RESUMO
O tema escolhido foi o resultado de observações pessoais e examina o papel do desenvolvimento sustentável no contexto urbano. As soluções de design levam a melhorar a qualidade da paisagem, como resposta a circunstâncias únicas e a um futuro potencial para a terra degradada.
Este estudo é motivado por duas questões de pesquisa: (1) como melhorar a paisagem, criando um novo espaço público, ecologicamente inteligente e socialmente significativo? (2) como a biodiversidade numa estrutura urbana precisa de ser entendida para criar uma paisagem futura? (Luengo Añón e Rössler 2012).
A área selecionada está localizada em Barcelona (Cataluña, Espanha), perto do rio Llobregat e pode ser considerada como altamente degradada, depois de um tempo de crescimento econômico da cidade. A proximidade do rio cria uma oportunidade para construir uma nova relação entre cidade, agricultura e rio. Restaurar o equilíbrio ecológico, nesta parte, é uma prioridade. Portanto, o ponto de partida para o futuro conceito é extraído do potencial oculto do espaco, que tem a chance de se tornar num lugar de valor, não só para as pessoas, mas também para a vida selvagem.
IV PALAVRAS-CHAVE
sustentabilidade \ recuperação de paisagens \\ zonas húmidas \\ espaços públicos \\ biodiversidade
V RESUMO ALARGADO
O tema desta tese de mestrado nasceu durante os meus estudos na Politechnica de Cataluña em Barcelona, ao longo dos quais aprofundei o interesse em integrar as abordagens arquitectónicas com as abordagens mais ambientais. Os interesses em matéria de recuperação da paisagem e arquitectura paisagista juntam-se nesta tese de mestrado, contribuindo para a resolução dos problemas de degradação de um caso de estudo localizado ao longo do rio Llobregat, em Barcelona.
Quando o processo de urbanização coloca a sociedade entre estruturas de betão em crescimento, a nostalgia pela natureza tende a tornar-se mais forte. Por outro lado, as transformações dinâmicas evocam a necessidade de definir novos espaços públicos e novas áreas verdes. A cidade, o ecossistema suburbano e a terra agrícola estão todos inter-relacionados. Estes são inseparáveis e devem ser considerados no contexto de mudanças. Moldar a natureza urbana é, portanto, a chave para o desenvolvimento sustentável, trazendo benefícios, como a melhoria global da paisagem, melhoria da qualidade de vida e a maior integração social.
As cidades são os pontos focais da interacção entre a urbanização e a natureza. Compreensivelmente, o desaparecimento da biodiversidade parece ser um dos maiores problemas, que precisam ser considerados durante o processo de desenho de um espaço. De facto, a proteção e recuperação de ecossistemas em espaço urbano (áreas húmidas, florestas e vales fluviais), melhorando o clima, a água, o ar e as condições do solo, devem ser favorecidas.
A paisagem é vista como a antítese da vida tecnológica urbana para as pessoas comuns, sendo convencionalmente associada ao cenário pastoral, mais como objeto ou cenário, e menos como um campo de ação. Atualmente pode-se perceber importantes direções dos campos da paisagem relacionados fortemente à ecologia, natureza, urbanismo, cultura e tradição, quando todos eles estão inter-relacionados. Berleant (2004) apontou que a paisagem não é uma forma, mas um processo formativo, mudando ao longo do tempo, sendo um meio de troca permanente. Ao tomar a ideia da paisagem objectiva perde-se a apreciação da natureza pelo objetivo sensorial.
VI A paisagem deve ser vista por mais direções, não apenas como um objeto visual, mas "de um objeto para uma área, da experiência visual para uma multisensorial, do cenário natural para toda a gama de objetos feitos pelo homem"(Berleant 2012). Pensar na paisagem como a natureza conduz a valores positivos, a cenas em que o ser humano não está presente: pôr do sol, mar, flor única. No entanto, o Homem está sempre presente. Na ação humana, também pode-se observar a recuperação da paisagem pela natureza "natural", se os exemplos forem parques nas áreas urbanas, árvores ao longo das ruas para evocar a natureza e elevar o valor estético ao local.
O objectivo deste estudo é o de discutir sobre o conceito de recuperação, e outros similares, bem como o de estudar diferentes projetos de arquitetura paisagista que lidam com a recuperação. Posteriormente pretende-se desenvolver uma solução projectual para o caso de estudo com base na pesquisa teórica e nos estudos funcionais de topografia, vegetação e água.
O termo "recuperação" implica que algo que uma vez se perdeu, se desvalorizou, se esqueceu ou se extraviou foi novamente encontrado, recuperado e trazido adiante com vitalidade renovada "(Corner 1999: 10). A discussão de vários conceitos, como restauração ou recuperação, e o estudo de projetos mais significativos da arquitetura paisagista, levou ao desenvolvimento de um projeto que lidou com as resultados da pesquisa realizada fornecendo uma reflexão sobre os principais objetivos a serem aplicados numa seção sensível do rio Llobregat.
O trabalho inclui a pesquisa de conceitos como restauração, revitalização, recuperação e rewilding.
Os conceitos de restauração,recuperação, revitalização e rewilding são combinados com um prefixo, que do latim antigo significa um retorno ao estado anterior (Hourdequin e Havlick 2016), mas na prática tem um significado mais amplo do que apenas "retorno" (Jørgensen 2015). De acordo com o Oxford English Dictionary,com uma abordagem moderna, as palavras prefixadas re-formaram novos significados, como mais uma vez, atualizar novamente, o que corresponde a entender o que é restauração ou recuperação na arquitetura da paisagem.
Tentando encontrar a diferença entre todos os conceitos usados, pode-se notar que não há uma resposta clara. No entanto, pode-se verificar que todos eles são muito semelhantes e podem ser usados de uma forma intercambiável, dependendo do tema ou do autor. Um
VII exemplo poderia ser o termo recuperação frequentemente usado em projetos de arquitetura paisagista conectados com processos ecológicos como o Fresh Kills Park, de James Corner, focado principalmente na transformação da arquitetura da paisagem. Em contraste, a revitalização é mais comum em projetos pós-industriais como o Duisburg Park na Alemanha, onde as principais soluções de design estão focadas em trabalhar com a história do lugar; melhorando e trazendo a vida e dinâmica vital para o site com elementos que já existem.
Se por um lado é muito racional voltar às coisas, como eram antes, por outro lado a paisagem muda continuamente, por isso não se pode restaurar a paisagem como uma pintura antiga, mas trabalhar com o tempo, tentar prever as mudanças e o impacto das intervenções projetadas, ajudando a natureza a fazer o seu "trabalho". Portanto, todos os termos como revitalização, recuperação, renovação, rewilding devem ser aplicados a processos na arquitetura da paisagem. Na verdade, o que um arquiteto paisagista faz é restaurar ou recuperar os processos, de modo a criar as melhores circunstâncias para a natureza funcionar.
A restauração ecológica como definição tem um significado abrangente e consistente. Atualmente coexistimos em paisagens sociais e ecológicas, nas quais a reconstrução como prática se baseia na integração dos moradores e suas influências ecológicas.
Atualmente, podemos notar direções importantes dos campos da paisagem fortemente associados à ecologia, natureza, planeamento urbano, cultura e tradição, quando todos eles estão interligados por uma vivência do espaço associada a lugares, viagens e histórias.
A intervenção proposta no caso de estudo é a catálise para ações futuras, baseadas em soluções ecológicas de criação de novas áreas urbanas. O objetivo final é trazer beleza e vitalidade ao ambiente em que as pessoas vivem e interagem umas com as outras.
Os estudos sobre o local começaram com o aprofundamento da topografia através da criação de modelos manuais e digitais, a sua compreensão e a sua transformação, de forma a permitir encontrar as melhores soluções para melhorar as qualidades ecológicas e funcionais do local. O caráter plano e a falta de transições suaves tornam a parte central da área árida e pouco atraente para os usuários, apesar do alto potencial.
VIII O próximo passo dos estudos consistiu em entender as áreas húmidas existentes, e a última concentrou-se no estudo do sistema de caminhos, que hoje são muito desorganizados e não permitem que os visitantes experimentem todo o local, para além da dificuldade em aceder à margem do próprio rio.
Estes três estudos principais foram o ponto de partida para as mudanças propostas na topografia. Com esta proposta, desenvolveu-se a ideia de criar uma nova zona húmida como um espaço público para pessoas e novos habitats.
As soluções e as intervenções propostas têm em consideração a fragilidade ecológica e, em simultâneo, respondem às necessidades socias do local. Deste modo, estas soluções suportam e incrementan os processoas naturais, e a paisagem naturalmente melhora. Ações como alterar a topografia, trabalhar com água, novas plantações, dar características individuais e elementos de pequena arquitetura, são parte do processo de criação de uma nova área húmida.
A consciencialização em torno da importância ecológica torna-se crucial na criação de novas paisagens futuras. A estratégia proposta o caso de estudo, parte de uma forma respeitosa e não invasiva do contexto do local, criando possibilidades para a mudança de qualidade de vida, não só para os seres humanos, mas para o mundo da natureza, onde o Homem se inclui.
Os projetos devem estimular a paisagem, fornecer uma variedade de usos, novas soluções ambientais, funções e atividades relativas ao património cultural, à história e ao mundo natural.
IX INDEX ABSTRACT...I KEYWORDS...II RESUMO...III PALAVRAS-CHAVE...IV RESUMO ALARGADO...V INDEX...IX LIST OF ANNEXES...XI LIST OF FIGURES...XII 1. Introduction...1
2. Impact of urbanization on biodiversity in the city - Biodiversity planting and design...3
- Restoration, recovery, rewilding, revitalization in landscape architecture...5
- Landscape and nature...10
- Discussion and chapter conclusion...11
3. The importance of wetlands in sustainable urban development and the creation of new public spaces - Introduction to the wetland’s importance...13
- Ecological recovery examples...15
Fresh Kills Park by Operation Fields...15
Minghu Wetland Park Turenscape...17
Qianoyan Wetland Park by Turenscape...18
Duisburg- Nord Park by Peter Lanz & Partners...21
Gleisdreieck Park by Loidl...24
- Discussion and chapter conclusion...25
4. Case of study: Rio de Llobregat in Barcelona - Objectives and Methodology...26
- Introduction and initial analysis ...27
X
- Construction of a Proposal...36
- Strategy and main Goals ...38
- Masterplan ...45
5. Conclusions ...55
XI LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS/ LIST OF ANNEXES:
ANNEX 1 Existing and future state ANNEX 2 Land profile of existing state
ANNEX 3 Photo documentation- Existing state ANNEX 4 Strategy
ANNEX 5 Masterplan
ANNEX 6 Vegetation strategy ANNEX 7 Vegetation forms
ANNEX 8 Detail- Walking deck with terrain crossection ANNEX 9 Visualization I
XII LISTA DE FIGURAS/ LIST OF FIGURES:
Figure 1 : ‘’Three Studies for a Portrait of Lucian Freud’’ by Francis Bacon/source:
http://aphelis.net / access 10.10.2017...9
Figure.2: Fresh Kills Park by Field Operations, http://www.fieldoperations.net/project-details/project/freshkills-park.html /acess/10.10.2017...16
Figure 3: Fresh Kills project by Operation Fields team leading by James Corner, Cultivating new habitants over the time/ source: http://www.fieldoperations.net /access:6.072017...16
Figure 4: Freshkills Park–Masterplan/ source: http://www.fieldoperations.net /access 10.03.2016...17
Figure 5: Mingu Wetland Park/ source:https://www.domusweb.it /access 10.10. 2016...18
Figure 6: source:http://www.contemporist.com/access 16.08.2017...19
Figure 7: Adaptation pallets. Design process: let nature work. Source: https://www.asla.org / access 19.07.2017...20
Figure 8: Qianoyan Wetland Park Masterplan/ source: www.turenscape.com/ access 19.12.2016...21
Figure 9: Duisburg- Nord park. Plan and view/ source: http://www.latzundpartner.de /access 20.07.2017...22
Figure 10: Duisburg- Nord Park concept/ source:http://www.latzundpartner.de /access 20.07.2017...22
Figure 11: Social gathering during cultural event at Duisburg- Nord Park/ /source:http://www.latzundpartner.de /access 20.07.2017...23
Figure 12: View of Duisburg-Nord park/ source:http://www.latzundpartner.de /access 20.07.2017...24
Figure 13: Gleisdreieck Park view/ source: http://www.atelier-loidl.de/ access 20.06.2017...25
Figure 14: Scheme representing steps of practical part which were generated by theoretical part of the work...26
Figure 15: Map of regions in Spain...27
Figure 16: Area of intervention in Cataluña...27
XIII
Figure 18: Communication access...28
Figure 19: Original drawings from Antonio Gaudi: Crypta de Gaudi at Colonia Güell and Sagrada Familia in Barcelona/ source: http://www.artehistoria.com...29
Figure 20: Situation of the site in 1950...30
Figure 21: Actual state of the site...30
Figure 22: Analysis of surroundings ...31
Figure 23: Classification regarding public utility of the Llobregat river shore...34
(metropolitan zone). Figure 24. The Llobregat, like most urban rivers, deal with high pollution level...35
(“Barcelona-Water Quality” 2016). Figure 25: Manual model of existing topography...36
Figure 26: 3d model of existing topography...37
Figure 27: Schema of main goals in the project...39
Figure 28: The First schema represents future connection city-agriculture-river-city. Second actual situation and lack of clear connection, where areas are separated from each other...40
Figure 29: Main axis and connection...41
Figure 30 : Schema of extended intervention during the time and connections...41
Figure 31: main points of activity...42
Figure 32: Function program...43
Figure 33: New wetland areas...45
Figure 34: Model of proposed water lines and solutions...47
Figure 35: Five parts: topography, water, vegetation, circulation, in sequences, each one is generating to another to create wholeness...48
Figure 36: Proposed Wetland forms (sections location are in Annex 5)...49
1
Introduction.
1 The idea of this master thesis born during my studies at Politechnica de Cataluña in Barcelona, when I was focused not only on strict architectural approach but also in more environmental directions and apply that to my future master project. The interests regarding landscape recovery and landscape architecture come together in this master thesis, in contributing to solving the degradation issues of a case study located along the river Llobregat.
The scope of this study is to discuss about the recovery concept, and other that are similar, study different landscape architecture projects that dealt with recovery. Afterward, it is provided a project designed solution to the case study based on the theoretical research and in the functional studies of topography, vegetation and water.
Nowadays, when the process of urbanization has placed social unit among rising concrete structures, our nostalgia for nature is becoming stronger. Dynamic transformations evoke the need to define new public spaces and green areas.
The city, the suburban ecosystem and the agricultural land are all interrelated. They are inseparable and should be considered in the context of changes. Shaping the urban nature is, therefore, the key to sustainable development. As a result, this approach brings benefits, as the high overall merit of the landscape, better quality of life and social integration.
The main objectives of the paper could be seen in two parts: first understanding the landscape recovery concept and its practice; and second implementation of the practice into the project.
The second chapter of the work defines and describes a range of abilities that are couriered in landscape architecture as: the importance of biodiversity inside urban structures and methods of creating contemporary public spaces as restoration, rewilding and revitalization.
Next chapter will bring examples of nowadays actions due to ecologic restoration and provide a broader overview at the landscape processes as a context for future project.
The purpose, contest and structure of the two part of the paper, briefly summarised final part- Strategy and intervention at Llobregat River in Barcelona.
2 The proposed intervention is the catalysis for future actions, due to ecological solutions of creating new urban areas. The ultimate aim is to bring beauty and vitality to the environment in which people live and interact with each other.
Proposed solutions and interventions are sensitive, and also responding to the needs of the site. In this sense, they are helping natural forces to improve the landscape. Actions as changing the topography, work with water, new plantings, giving individual features and elements of small architecture, are the part of the process of creating a new wetland.
2
Impact of urbanization on biodiversity in the city.
Impact of urbanization on biodiversity in the city
Biodiversity planting and design
Restoration, recovery, rewilding, revitalization in landscape architecture
Impact of urbanization on biodiversity in the city
3 Cities are the focal points of interaction between urbanization and nature. Understandably, disappearing biodiversity seems to be one of the major problems, which need to be considered during the design process. The possibility of coexistence of man and nature areas should be seen primarily on protecting and recovering urban ecosystems (wetlands, woodlands, and river valleys), improving climate, water, air, soil conditions, instead of creating chaotic, suburban and urban areas.
The urbanization modifies the ecology and features of urban landscape by disturbing ecological pathways (Müller et al. 2010). As a consequence of these rapid changes, natural areas inside the cities are often fragmented and depredated, which brings to concerns about the future of life in cities, by losing native species and animals.
Biodiversity planting and design
The concept of sustainable development implies that it is possible, and it is necessary to eliminate the contradictions between the social, economic and environmental objectives.
The impact of urbanization on local biodiversity is complex, mainly related to increasing pressure on the most valuable natural areas and the process of impoverishment of the natural environment. It is primarily on urban areas, located in the vicinity of protected and highly valued green areas, which are key sanctuaries of biodiversity.
Therefore, urban biodiversity is ‘’the variety or richness and abundance of living organisms (including genetic variation) and habitats found in and on the edge of human settlements’’(Cameron and Hitchmough 2016: 76), following this definition, we can distinguish various habitats inside the urban structures as:
‘’Remnant vegetation (e.g., remnant habitats of native plant communities) Agricultural landscapes (e.g., meadows, arable land)
Urban-industrial landscapes (e.g., wastelands and vacant lots, residential areas, industrial parks, railway areas, brown fields).
4 Biodiversity describes the richness of the living world, in its multiplicity of forms of organisms present on earth. This applies to all levels of biological organization, from the diversity of individuals and genetic variations in species to the diversity of species in all ecosystem’s units. Unfortunately, the entire wealth of living, from year to year rapidly decreases, threatened by the expansion of human civilization. One of the essential causes of biodiversity loss is the lack of sustainable development of cities, including underestimating ecological aspects.
From the landscape point of view, rivers, valleys and water thanks seem to be one of the most interesting items in the city; even so, thinking about biodiversity is often the second step during the planning process.
A metropolis like Barcelona, London or Lisbon, involves the need to implement long-term, more innovative strategic plans, and the concept of sustainable development in conditions of permanent ecological crisis.
During analyzing the spatial structure, it can be concluded, that the elements of the natural environment often have the greatest impact on shaping landscape values (Muller et al. 2010). Suburban ecosystems, agricultural lands, and spontaneous green areas, with all dynamic interrelations, become an integral part of cities. Disappearing traditional boundary between urban structure and natural environment is a challenge for landscape architecture.
Measuring biodiversity in an urban landscape is different in older urban areas and has more non-native species than smaller urban landscapes like villages. Therefore, urban biodiversity is not including just native species, some native trees, for example, may not be suitable for the urban environment, due to the natural limitations. In this regard ‘’for one city, the urban biodiversity may be fit with native, surrounding biodiversity and entwining the urban tissue with local habitats and for another city, this may not be possible for some species’’ (Müller et al. 2010:45).
Dependence is deceptively simple - the more in area green parks, gardens, forests- the more species may find suitable conditions to life.
In landscape architecture we can find a lot of examples like recent work of Operation Field by James Corner Fresh Kills Park, where unused land and destroyed site by previous existing,
5 one of the largest urban dumps in the United States will be revised into the park with natural woodland and wetlands.
‘’Instead of damaging ecosystems, why not start creating them? We have the technology and the design skills. There are examples of the future all over Europe, but these are pockets of innovation. We have to move from pockets of innovation to cities of the future’’ (European Environment Agency 2010:12). This sentence perfectly describes the importance of creating sustainable landscapes during the planning process.
Restoration, recovery, rewilding, revitalization in landscape architecture
Ecological Restoration
The terms restoration and recovery are connected by prefix- re, what from ancient latin means back to previous state (Hourdequin and Havlick 2016), but in practice has a wider significance than just ‘’back’’(Jørgensen 2015). According to Oxford English Dictionary with a modern approach, words with prefix re- formed new meanings like once more, refresh, anew, which corresponds to understanding what restoration or recovery in landscape architecture actually is.
Ecological Restoration as a definition has a comprehensive and coherent meaning. Nowadays we are coexisting in socioecological landscapes, where restoration as a practice is based on the integration of inhabitants and its ecological influences (A. F. Clewell and Aronson 2007).
Restoration attempt to return a natural ecosystem and creates conditions for it, however many of scientist does not agree with this explanations, and still, restoration appears as an unclear practice in landscape architecture (Jørgensen 2015).
Ecological Restoration as a term appeared quite early in science literature, exactly in the 1993 year with the journal Restoration Ecology (Jørgensen 2015). Public interest in this topic starts to grow with new questions- how restoration need to be understood in ecological field? And how far it means to come back to the previous state? Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) answered this question as follows ‘’The restored ecosystem will not necessarily recover its former state, since contemporary conditions may cause it develop along an
6 altered trajectory. The historical trajectory of an impacted ecosystem may be difficult or impossible to determine with accuracy’’(SER 2004:3). Therefore restoration cannot be easily separated into units with history and culture (Jørgensen 2015). "In the strict sense, restoration means returning something to its original form. With the possible exception of dredging, which removes nutrients, excessive vegetation, and sediment, hopefully toward a former state’’(Cooke 2005:14).
Hobbs and Harris in a very clear way explain how we should think about ecology restoration, ‘’(...) needs to recognize that most ecosystems are dynamic and hence restoration goals cannot be based on static attributes. Setting clear and achievable goals is essential, and these should focus on the desired characteristics for the system in the future, rather than in relation to what these were in the past’’ (Hobbs and Harris 2001:1). Nature is dynamic, not static. Thus we cannot restore ecology like an old painting.
Cairns et al. (1992) defined restoration as "the return of an ecosystem to a close approximation of its condition prior to disturbance"( National Research Council (U.S.) 1992). They all recognized that restoration based only on coming back to the previous state is not possible.
Similar statement presents (A. F. Clewell and Aronson 2007) claim that restoration practice cannot be gratifying when is based only on ecological aspects and coming back to the prior state. Thus, cultural perspective and human relations with nature are inseparable.
Ecology Restoration very often attempts coming back to the former ecosystem with native species. Nerveless restoration is less about the bringing previous ecological state and functions, and more it is ‘’ the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed’’ (A. Clewell and Aronson 2013:2)
Therefore, term restoration today has a broader meaning and has taken a new shape- ‘’ Ecological restoration is a concept that should not be taken literally (...) Ecological restoration necessarily produces a future state of an ecosystem’’(Clewell and Aronson 2007:8).
In the same time, we should ask - if nature can be ever restored? And if restoration should be understood as coming back to original state? Ecosystems are changing in a very dynamic way, therefore is not possible to comprehend ecological restoration as turning back practice. Thus, restoration ecology should be seen first as one of the steps for improving the
7 site and trying to restore ecosystems in a way that is needed and enterprising towards new future (Hobbs et al. 2011).
Restoration should set achievable goals for improving conditions, seeing in the time, without focusing on the past (Hobbs and Harris 2001), but more on transformation, contextualization, new forms of experience, meaning and ecological value.
Rewilding
During research about restoration, very often we can encounter another world – rewilding, pointing more clear the aspect of nature and naturalness.
‘’ What does it mean to be wilder? Wilder than what? What does it mean to be more natural? I am interested in what and, by extension, when and where rewilding refers to as it has moved into various geographies across the globe. ‘’ (Jørgensen 2015,482).
Word ‘’wild’’ means “not managed” and by a lot of authors in scientific literature is understood as a different definition as restoration.
Today we want to be more ‘’natural’’, creating more ‘’natural world’’, buying 100% natural products and what Hull pointed ‘’we practice natural remedies to cure what ails us. We reside at Woodland tills, Evergreen Ridges, and Deerfield Meadows’’, but what does it really mean to be natural, coming back to the natural state?
Concepts of naturalness have been changing over the years. Hull (2000) present three definitions of naturalness: ‘’1) naturalness is associated with a state of the environment that existed at some previous point in time ( original nature), 2) it is a state of the environment that exists in the absence of human modification ( pristine, wild nature), and 3) it is associated with a slow, or ‘’natural’’ rate of change.’’(Gobster and Hull 2000: 100).
Those three definitions evoke the question: Which state is better than another? Which conditions would correspond to our time and need of environment in creating better space to live?
8 Botkin (1992) presents the idea of a balanced nature, where nature, knows the best’’, as a myth. By living nature alone and let doing their processes without interruptions, nature finds the best way. Again question what is natural and to which state ecology could be restored comes to mind, especially when we thought about many examples of projects or places seen as ‘’natural’’ not touch by human and in real created by them by ‘’helping nature’’ to create better conditions (Botkin 1992).
Program Rewilding Europe points in one article differences in understanding restoration and rewilding: ‘’Rewilding is really not about looking back in time. It is instead about looking forward, giving more room to wild, spontaneous nature to develop, in a modern society. Going back (to when?) is not a real alternative, it is mostly just nostalgia. Rewilding is about moving forward, letting nature itself decide much more and man decide much less’’ (Rewilding Europe 2011).
The same program during a workshop in Leipzig at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research in 2017, with several experts in this field, discussed the importance of rewilding and ecological restoration (Rewilding Europe 2017). During the conference, it had been pointed that using rewilding principles is one of the most important approaches to ecological restoration.
Cronon (1995) at his publication about rewilding, noticed that recreating fauna and flora, trying to bring native species again with reducing human presence is not an approach for our times (William Cronon 1995). Jorgensen reinforces this - ‘’the idea of the wild without people leads to undervalue the wild where people in fact are- the sparrow in the urban garden or the butterfly in the agricultural field. These two have potential to be wild.’’(Jørgensen 2015:487)
Ecological and Landscape Recovery
The term ‘’recovery implies that something once lost, devaluated, forgotten, or misplaced has been found again, retrieved, and brought forward with renewed vitality’’ (Corner 1999: 10).
Recovery is understood as ‘’looking forward rather than describe past and current conditions’’(Corner 1999,12). Thus, recovering might be seen in three ways, following James Corner ‘’ first, in terms of the retrieval of memory and the cultural enrichment of place
9 and time; second, in terms of social program and utility, as new uses and activities are developed; and, third, in terms of ecological diversification and succession’’(Corner 1999:13).
Following another author ‘’ecological restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed’’. (Jørgensen 2015:402). Thus, recovery is part of the process of ecological restoration. Therefore, in this sense recovering is seen as renewing, invokes tradition and invention at the same time.
Looking at the portrait of Francis Bacon (Figure 1) showing phases of transformation, we can understand the process of changes, where the one thing is becoming something else through the process.
Referring this example to landscape architecture, it is possible to notice different ways to approach the project: one treating the site through the species, concerning the history and treating the site as something that needs to continue with any future actions. Another one could be called a hybrid, the transformation of the site concerning the history and also existing situation. In this sense, something modified is seen as something natural, over the time. Those two different forms are becoming to be one wholeness, something familiar.
Figure 1 : ‘’Three Studies for a Portrait of Lucian Freud’’ by Francis Bacon/source: http://aphelis.net / access 10.10.2017.
‘’Recovery of landscape is such a promising cultural enterprise, for it invokes less the recuperation and restoration of passive artefact and more the extension and realization of landscape’s hidden potential ’’(Corner 1999, 1).
10 Revitalization
Revitalization as a practice is a process of spatial, social, economic changes, which are leading to the development of the previous depredated area. Therefore, the term is related to urban structures.
The term revitalization is quite new and has become popular during last years, as many authors noticed (Uniwersytet Rolniczy w Krakowie et al. 2015:2) ’’ it is used not only in reference to changes in urban planning and landscape, but also in everyday life to describe various forms of revival (spiritual, fitness, material situation’’.
Revitalization movement for the first time was used by Clarke Wallace (1956), during studying the culture of American Indians. Nowadays the term is used in various fields as architecture, economics, etc.
Revitalization can be seen as a ‘’ form of action, being a part of the urban policy, effecting the whole life of a city, the action combining respect for the past and local traditions with solving local problems of inhabitants’’. (Uniwersytet Rolniczy w Krakowie et al. 2015:2).
Landscape and nature
The landscape today is seen as the antithesis to the urban technological life for ordinary people, is conventionally associated with pastoral scenery, more like object or scene, less as outgoing action. Overtime definition of the landscape was changing and become very complex trough the idea of picturesque to the idea of palimpsest where is understood as linked layers, an outgoing process in the time and space.
Nowadays we can notice important directions of the fields of landscape related strongly to ecology, nature, urbanism, culture, and tradition when all of them are interweaving, still, of course, embrace pastoral experience, but at the same time they are full of inventing and so much more than greenery; is invoking to ecology, politics, art, culture, and technology. The city is a landscape and is not necessary to be always green, but it is related to places, journeys, and stories.
11 Berleant (2004) pointed out that landscape is not a form but formative process, changing during the time, ongoing medium of exchange. By taking the idea of landscape objectively, we are losing appreciation of nature by sensory scope.
Thus, the landscape is needed to be seen from more directions, not only as a visual object but ‘’from an object to an area, from visual experience to a multi-sensory one, from natural scenery to the whole range of human-made transformations of nature’’ (Berleant 2012). Thinking about the landscape as nature very easily leads us to the positive values, the scene where human are not present: sunset, sea, single flower.
However, human presence is everywhere we are part of it, and even in the post-industrial landscape we can notice the beauty of creation, aesthetic seeing the things is also individual. In the human acting, we can also observe recovering the landscape by ‘’bring up’’ nature, one if the examples are parks in the urban areas, trees along the streets to evoke the nature and rise the aesthetical value to the place.
In the point of the natural ecology, the world is seen as valuable, good, and beautiful. Untouched nature is worthy of admiration and respect, gives us new knowledge, also about the beauty of nature. Ecology, in the broad sense, combining science and axiology takes into account the human relationship with the environment and allows us to see beauty where we have not seen before, which can be clearly noticed in the nowadays project of ecologic restoration. All examples of this intervention will be present in the next chapter of the paper.
Discussion and chapter conclusion
Trying to find the difference between all used terms we can notice that is no clear answer. Nevertheless, we can notice that all of them are very similar and we can use them interchangeably depending on the topic or the author.
An example could be the term recovery often used in landscape architecture project connected with ecological processes like Fresh Kills Park by James Corner, main focused on transformation in landscape architecture. In contrast, revitalization is more common in post-industrial projects like Duisburg Park in Germany, where main design solutions are focused on working with the history of the place; improving and bringing the life and vital dynamic to the site with elements which already exist.
12 On one hand is very rational to back to the things, as they were before but on the other hand landscape is continually changing, that is why we cannot restore landscape like an old painting, but work with the time, try to predict all of this changes and help the nature doing their ‘’job’’. Therefore all terms as revitalization, recovering, renovation, rewilding should be applied to processes in landscape architecture. In fact, what a landscape architect does is restore or recover the processes, on the way to creating the best circumstances for nature.
3
The importance of wetlands in sustainable urban
development and the creation of valuable public
spaces.
Wetlands - Introduction
Importance of Wetlands
13 In urban conditions, the components of the natural environment are constantly changing which is associated with high water pollution, degradation of soil and vegetation. Wetlands, thanks to its multi-functionality in the area of environmental, social, economic and aesthetic pose, cannot be overestimated value on many levels in the urban space. The role of wetlands increased with the development of human activity and agriculture. Therefore it is essential to understand their role and importance in the urban structures.
Wetlands - Introduction
Following (Lewis 2001) ‘’Uneven distribution of water causes the landscape to be divided into four parts: lakes, streams, uplands, and wetlands (...)
Trying to define what wetland is, based on materials from the United States and the European Convention Ramsar, we can find a variety of definitions, which is associated with a lot of agencies interested in this area (Lyon and Lyon 2011).
The National Wetland Inventory Program (NWI) from Fish and Wildlife Service in the United States defined wetland as follow: ‘"Wetlands are lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface, or shallow water covers the land. For this classification, wetlands must have one or more of the following three attributes: (1) at least periodically, the land supports hydrophytes predominantly; (2) the substrate is predominantly undrained hydric soil; and (3) the substrate is nonsoil and is saturated with water or covered by shallow water at some time during the growing season of each year"
According to Hails (1996) 'Wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters.'(Hails 1996). Ramsar Convention indicates that wetlands are the resource of great economic, cultural, recreational and scientific value (Hails 1996). Therefore, Wetland's ecosystems are seen as essential for the man who is dependent on these systems.
Following U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service ‘’ wetlands are lands where saturation with water is the dominant factor determining the nature of substrate
14 development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the substrate and on its surface’(U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 2013)’’ (U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 2013:6).
Importance of Wetlands
In the context of the integration of the society, wetlands are the medium between urbanization and the natural world. Previously neglected and drained for agriculture and urban areas, wetlands now are more and more valued.
By participating in the circulation of water in nature, wetlands occupy different places in the hydrological cycle. This cycle includes the retention, drainage, precipitation, and evaporation. The importance of wetlands in this cycle consists mainly of water retention in the landscape - reducing runoff and its distribution in time, retain and then slowly capture the water in the bed turf. Just as green belts are a barrier against pollution of rivers, chemicals flowing water from agricultural fields and nearby towns, so, therefore, contribute to the improvement, enrichment of fauna and flora, agricultural production.
Wetlands areas can become an invaluable enterprise in urban surface and provide benefits as:
‘’water storage;
storm protection and flood mitigation; shoreline stabilization and erosion control; water purification;
retention of nutrients; retention of sediments; retention of pollutants;
stabilization of local climate conditions, particularly rainfall and temperature water quality improvement
cycling of nutrients and other materials habitat for fish- and wildlife
passive recreation, such as bird watching and photography active recreation, such as hunting education and research aesthetics and landscape enhancement.’’(Davis 1994)
15 Creating a wetland site can not disturb existing resources but by small interventions let nature to continue its natural processes. Wetlands need to be protected not only because of its nature but also because of the global functions, participation in shaping the Earth's climate. It is important to also flood the role of wetlands and their participation in the processes of self-purification of water.
Wetlands play a special role in biodiversity, with a high diversity of habitat and species ecosystems act as ecological corridors.
Ecological restorations examples
The 90s have brought a radical change in the perception of ecological biodiversity the structure of cities and attempts to restore the landscape for providing a better quality of life and functioning of cities. Shaping nature has gained a new dimension; green areas began to be appreciated not only by aesthetics, historical values, design, but also ecological solutions.
Today we can observe the implementation of projects that are improving forgotten and degraded space, through the regeneration of urban ecosystems. Examples of such actions are works of offices: Turenscape, Operation Fields or Peter Lanz.
Fresh Kills Park by Operation Fields
Fresh Kills Park has become a symbol of large-scale revitalization and sustainability approach.
Designed Park by Field Operations in 2001 was before 2,200 acres landfill site during 50 years of New York City in Staten Island (Figure 2).
Transformation of the land into a public space becomes challenging enterprise mainly caused by huge size, highly degraded soil, technical and engineering problems which prevented the creation of the park (Operation Fields 2006). All difficulties, a way of looking, finding connections, forms, trying to understand the history of site and quality of interactions,
16 brings new strategy ‘’based on natural processes’’ and changing the whole ecosystem during the time.
Figure.2:http://www.fieldoperations.net/project-details/project/freshkills-park.html /acess/10.10.2017
The project is constructed on three pillars - environmental restoration, the creation of new network connections, communication, and implement a new program of the park. The realization of these objectives has been divided into three ten-year phase (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Fresh Kills project by Operation Fields team leading by James Corner, Cultivating new habitants over the time/ source: http://www.fieldoperations.net /access:6.07.2017
The first phase is the most significant stage of transformation. During this period, the place is excluded from public access. Ongoing work on changing the topography and the formulation of the hills of garbage dumps. Corresponding declines and profiles allow to use them as viewpoints. One of the most critical aspects of this phase was the introduction of methane
17 recovery, which is accompanied by the decomposition of garbage. The recovered methane will be used as heating energy. Next steps with the time, reclaim public access to specific parts. The last stage represents a fully sustainable living park with all new functions for visitors and mature biomatrix (Operation Fields 2006).
The master plan of the project assumes all transformations for the next thirty years and connects with ecological restoration. Creation of new recreation possibilities such as nature trails, mountain biking or bird watching, which were not available to residents before. Therefore, the park will provide unique experiences and active use of goods that will generate a new dynamic public space and wildlife habitat at the same time.
Fresh Kills Park is divided into five parts, each of them is still in their natural processes of changing, developing and regenerating new ecosystems (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Freshkills Park–Masterplan/ source: http://www.fieldoperations.net /access 10.03.2016
Minghu Stormwater Wetland Park by Turenscape
Designed by Kongjian You Minghu Wetland Park (Figure 5) reflects the needs of our times, where a man is not indifferent to the forces of nature but respects it.
18 The park is located in a typical village of post-Liupanshui in China by the river Shuichghene, which flowing down is absorbing farmlands pollutions and wastewater from residential areas located on the slopes.
Land after years of continuous change and degradation, caused by the coal industry, steel, and cement, is struggling with many problems which were severe air and water pollution.
Figure 5: Mingu Wetland Park/ source:https://www.domusweb.it /access 10.10. 2016.
Through a series of design techniques to transform the system of water flow, using a network of canals and creating wetlands, project leads to improvement of biodiversity, restoration of native habitat and clean the soil (Saunders and Yu 2012).
Minghu Wetland Park was completed in 2012, winning the top prize ASLA and became the inspiration for future projects for contemporary landscape architecture, where the ever-changing society and the environment have appointed the need for recourse to new fields of activity.
Qianoyan Wetland Park by Turenscape
Another project of office Turenscape, in which wetlands provide new ecological and social values is Qianoyan Wetland Park with the size
19 of 22 hectares (Figure 6). Located in the coastal city of Tianjian in China.
Rapid urbanization has turned, surrounded by housing estates and highway, an area in the landfill, which was a '' black hole '' in the structure of the city.
The project aimed to restore the ecological balance, and it is contributed to the improvement of the quality of life and regain the lost beauty of the landscape.
Figure 6: source:http://www.contemporist.com/access 16.08.2017
In this regard, strategy creates a system of wetlands and the division of the park into 21 diverse parts- Adaptive Pallets (Figure 7 and 8). Each of them represents different habitats and richness of vegetation. Changing the topography has allowed the accumulation of rainwater in the zones with a diameter of between 10 and 40 m and a depth of 1 to 5 m, which is leading to the natural formation of wetlands (Saunders and Yu 2012).
20 Figure 7: Adaptation pallets. Design process: let nature work. Source: https://www.asla.org / access 19.07.2017.
The strategy is based on processes of self-regeneration, giving the necessary time to clean the soil and create an environment to sustain and propagation of native vegetation.
Inside of some selected depressions used wooden platforms for rest and being connected with new vegetation and landscape forms. Adaptive Pallets part of footpath nets, providing a walk through the varied landscape.
‘’After a mere two years, the success of this park is stunning as a place for people and as a place that is already alive with ecology that has reclaimed the former dump. The simple pattern of stormwater cells not only maximized the rich edges for a deliberately "messy" native landscape- this pattern also created a sense of designed landscape continuity and visual appeal that has drawn so many people into the Park. It is remarkable that 200,000 people visited the park within its first few months of being open, and yet the delicate landscape has been visibly preserved by the careful design to separate walkways from the
ground, with low maintenance requirements.”
21 Figure 8: Qianoyan Wetland Park Masterplan/ source: www.turenscape.com/ access 19.12.2016.
Duisburg- Nord Park by Peter Lanz & Partners
Duisburg-Nord Park is a very good example of revitalizing public space with full respect for the history of the site. New functions and design maintain all post-industrial elements inside the park. The project represents the spirit of the past, present, and the new future, where ‘’dying city’’ starts to become a vital and interesting place for visitors and citizens.
The site is localized in the Ruhr river basin and was part of the structural program for Ruhr area from the 1988 year. Therefore, historical layers left their marks trough industrial period until the 1970 year (Figure 9).
22 Figure 9: Duisburg- Nord park. Plan and view/ source: http://www.latzundpartner.de /access 20.07.2017.
Peter Lanz describe Duisburg- Nord as follow - ‘’ The park is not a park in common sense, not easy to survey, not clearly arranged, not recognizable as a whole’’ (Judith Stilgenbauer 2005:3). Thus, the problem of post-industrial areas is ‘’rough cover’’ over industrial history. They have a connection with changing space and time. In the case of reclaimed industrial landscape, park works on the principle of environmental, social, cultural urban development, and also faces up to the challenges of structural change- reconstruction of nature (Riffat, Powell, and Aydin 2016).
The team of Lanz and Partner created a park full of biodiversity, beautiful vegetation, new facilities, at the same time ‘’telling the story of the place’’. The strategy was based on intergrading existing elements into new design as a reinterpretation of a new landscape (Figure 10).
23 Past landmarks had been transformed into a new use. This space appears before function and animate users to different activities beyond objects, such as: climbing the bunkers, diving in the gasometer, participating in the high-profile cultural events, observation tower or walking through diverse gardens (Figure 11;12).
Figure 11: Social gathering during cultural event at Duisburg- Nord Park/ /source:http://www.latzundpartner.de /access 20.07.2017.
The design itself include recycling materials and bioremediation- using biological organisms to break down environmental pollutants, to clean up a polluted site (Judith Stilgenbauer 2005). Therefore, ‘’park combines human intervention and natural processes to create an environment that could have created alone’’(L. Loures, T. Panagopoulos 2007:794).
24 Figure 12: View of Duisburg-Nord park/ source:http://www.latzundpartner.de /access 20.07.2017.
Gleisdreieck Park in Berlin by LOIDL.
Duisburg –Nord park could be seen as the precursor for Gleisdreieck Park (Figure 13a). Park was previously an intersection of different railway lines from the 19th century. Situated above the city level and become a waste ground after the second war, the area was separating two main neighborhoods of Berlin- Kreuzberg und Schöneberg.
The aim of the project transformed the area into high-quality urban space that could connect neighborhoods to each other and provide new relations between nature, history, and people.
Therefore, the design was based on the activation new interactions rough dimension of the time and formed in a respectful way to the past, present, and future.
25 Figure 13: Gleisdreieck Park view/ source: http://www.atelier-loidl.de/ access 20.06.2017.
The project itself is planned around the central meadow with sensitive details (Figure 13). Created scenery allows to feel the spirit of the past, freedom of the open green areas, with the background of trees and beautiful vegetation, and also the dynamic movement of users inside the park.
Discussion and chapter conclusion
All these examples have become an inspiration for the project in the diploma.
Each of them is an example of transformation based on natural processes with no looking back to the past but towards new future landscapes due to concept as restoration or recovery in landscape architecture.
What differentiates them is the directions of transformation as the case of Fresh Kills Park, when we can observe recovery of ecological processes or in case of Duisburg Park, where it will be more appropriate to use term revitalization of cultural and historical processes, with respect to the past and remaining what is already exist during the process of transformation.
4
Case of study: Creating new Wetland site at the Rio de
Llobregat shore in Cataluña Barcelona.
Location and initial analysis
The main characteristics of the Llobregat river Actual state analysis
Strategy and main goals Masterplan
26 “A landscape park may be more palpable but no more real, no less imaginary, than a landscape painting or poem” (Cosgrove and Daniels 2008).
Objectives and Methodology
Coming out with the concepts as restoration or recovery, and following the most significant today’s projects in landscape architecture, led to the development of a project that cope with the research gathered and also provided a reflection about the main goals to apply in a sensitive section of the river Llobregat located in Barcelona. The objectives are covert with recovery practice due to rebalancing the combination of humans and nature, not only to restore natural systems and ecological integrity but also to deliver beautiful, engaging and remarkable landscape experiences. Therefore, the project is a practical expression of the theoretical part (Figure 14).
Figure 14: Scheme representing steps of practical part which were generated by theoretical part of the work.
27 Although we see a far-reaching step in the current projects related to landscape architecture, today's European cities are still struggling with the lack of green areas, where it counts not only form but also a formative process to achieve valuable public spaces that we can easily understand and actively use. Furthermore, is essential to creating interactions, not only between people but also with the wild world and nature with cultural and historical context, and combining that with the invention, transformation, ecology design.
Location and initial analysis
The site of intervention is located in Cataluña (Spain) (Figure 15), between cities of Barcelona and Colonia Güell (Figure 16 and 17), on the sore of Llobregat river.
28 Figure 17: Area of intervention with surroundings.
Regarding mobility, the area is connected with two towns by train, a high number of bus lines and main road - Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes (Figure 18). The direct connection also provides a waterway from the sea.
The Metropolitan section of the river has the length of 30 km and creates a green corridor – Parc Riu Llobregat, which is comprising the intervention site and crosses the territory of the sixteen municipalities.
29 Colonia Güell and Barcelona are historically linked by the architecture of Antonio Gaudi, which generates another essential relation through the river for visitors (Figure 19).
Considering the historical context, the site was agricultural land. Large expanses of marshes on the Llobregat river could be observed in the Middle Ages. During the former royal times, wet areas, mainly at delta and on the north of the river, has been gradually transformed into farmlands.
The agrarian landscape is characterized by markedly regressive dynamics that began in the middle of the s. XX. In 1955, arable land accounted for 40 percent of the area, while in 2002 this figure stood at 15 percent (Figure 20 and 21). The process of abandonment partly explains this important regression of the cultivated lands.
Up until now, the area is not only altered by agricultural activities, but also by the previous change of natural river course, caused by the expansion of the airport in Barcelona and the motorway network.
Figure 19: Original drawings from Antonio Gaudi: Crypta de Gaudi at Colonia Güell and Sagrada Familia in Barcelona/ source: http://www.artehistoria.com.
30 Figure 20: Situation of the site in 1950.
Figure 21: Actual state of the site.
The intervention site covers 21 hectares and is surrounded by river from the east side and by agriculture fields from the west side (Figure 22).
31 Figure 22: Analysis of surroundings
The main characteristics of the Llobregat river
The Llobregat river is one of the most important rivers in the region of Cataluña. Llobregat, from the main source in the Eastern Pyrenees in Castellar de n'Hug (1,280 m), flows into the Mediterranean Sea at El Prat de Llobregat, in the metropolitan area of Barcelona.
Its drainage basin has almost 5000 km2 and 1165 km long with an average annual flow of 20.77 m³ (Marco Carmena and Colegio de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos 2004). The Delta del Llobregat has an approximate area of 95 km2, with a length of 23 km coastline. This river generates a set of ecosystems and very fertile soil, which contributed to the beginning of the occupation of the area.
The regime of the Llobregat river is typically Mediterranean with a ‘’relatively low average water discharge and extreme seasonal variations’’ (Modern Sedimentation Patterns and Human Impacts on the Barcelona Continental Shelf (NE Spain) 2010:170). Rainfall in the basin is variable, ‘’it averages between some 500 and 1,000 mm/year, while the maximum values tend to be in May, June and September and the minimum levels in winter and then again in summer’’ (Lleonard Matia and Jordi Bruno 2002:5). During spring/ fall, can be observed highest river flow, ranging from 30 m³ to about 50 m³, whereas, declines towards
32 around 15 m³ to 20 m³ during summer time (Sabater Prieto et al. 2012). It was also observed, that during heavy raining periods water flow could rise to 170 m³, what occurs average every 2-10 years (Sabater Prieto et al. 2012).
The basin of the river is underlying resource of water supply for whole Barcelona (Mas-Pla, Ghiglieri, and Uras 2014). In the same time takes sewage from ‘’ more than 30 sewage treatment plants (STP) and the sediments and water of the Llobregat basin contain various pollutants, including pesticides, plasticizers, personal care products, pharmaceutical products, heavy metals and organic matter’ ’(Julio Cezar Lopez-Doval et al. 2010). The downstream part of the river is impacted by industrial surroundings, mainly textile, paper mills, tannery and also vineyards (Sabater Prieto et al. 2012). In the late 80s, the river used to be, one of the most polluted and devastated by human activity in Europe.
Today, the level of degradation significantly has been improved, also due to wastewater treatments plants. Thus, proposing wetlands can be the next step in enhancing the water quality during the time, and significant catalyst for further changes turned towards sustainable development.
Actual state analysis and Diagnose
The Urban structure of Barcelona can be seen as dominant in the landscape, which is very dynamic and continuously changing. The years of economic growth were focused on transformations inside the city. This had negative impacts on suburbs. Thus, despite so much potential, the area suffers from lack of biodiversity, and therefore users, also create sort of ‘’gap’’ without no explicit functions and use.
The Delta of Llobregat river is highly developed regarding public utility, providing a lot of activities for citizens: jogging, walking and resting along the river. Connection with the water is very noticeable. Visitors can enjoy views and very well-organized pathways with a lot of facilities. Walking trail continues to the upper parts of the shore when suddenly intervention site seems to not integrate with previous parts (Figure 23). Therefore, one of the goals for the future interventions is creating a new path system and more attractive views.
33 Urbanization and economic activity had been caused degradation of valuable ecosystems in many areas along the coast. In this regard, recovering this site is highly important not only regarding ecological issues but also regarding public utility.
The biological quality of the middle river course is in the worst state. The impact of dynamic urbanization is here most visible (Figure 24). This is one of the most important reasons, why creating wetland should be considered precisely in this area.
Nowadays, original wetlands areas remain only 5% (Marcé et al. 2012) while, next to the forest, there are the most critical ecosystems in the structure of contemporary cities.
34 Figure 23: Classification regarding public utility of the Llobregat river shore (metropolitan zone).
35 Figure 24. The Llobregat, like most urban rivers, deal with high pollution level (“Barcelona-Water Quality” 2016).
Currently, the area of intervention can be distinguished as highly degraded, not attractive for people and wild word nature (Annex 3). Existing state of paths is in bad conditions, as well accesses by underground passages are not inviting to the site.
36
Construction of a Proposal
The studies over the terrain began with topography by manual and digital models (Figure 25 and 26), its understanding and transforming in a way that will allow finding the best solutions for improving the ecological and functional qualities of the site. Flat character and the lack of smooth transitions make the central part of the area dehydrated and not attractive for users, despite the high potential.
37 Figure 26: 3d model of existing topography.
38 Next step of studies consists of understanding the existing wet areas, and the last one focuses on the study of the system of paths, which today are very disorganized and not allowing visitors to experience the whole site by easy access to the river shore.
Those three parts of studies were starting point for proposed changes in topography, which bring the idea of creating a new wetland as a public space for people and new habitats (Annex 1).
Land profile and relations with surroundings are present in two sections (Annex 2)
Strategy and main goals
Following Corner (1999) ‘’landscape is ongoing medium of exchange’’, the project applies to formative process evolving over the time. Predicting changes will allow us to see, that sometimes just a small catalyst starts the whole machinery of amendments in the landscape and extract it's the hidden potential (Annex 4).
The detailed gals can be present by following points:
increase the biodiversity of riverside areas, Growing recreational values,
the use of the river and its new forms in the creation of the urban landscape,
define the location of the walking paths and recreational activities along the streams and attractive points,
to enable the public use of the river,
public commitment to the principles of managing area proposing new species
vegetation as a creator of attractive space for people and new habitat/ creation of the landscape
water treatment
The envisaged creation of wetlands, systematization of paths and viewpoints for visitors intervention will lead to the creation of a system that will attract both humans and other species of animals and birds to the newly created space.
