Improving visual attractiveness to enhance city-river integration - a methodolo...

• Author(s): Silva, Jorge Batista ; Saraiva, Maria da Graça ; Loupa Ramos, Isabel ; Bernardo, Fátima
• Date: 2012
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10174/7795
• Origin: Repositório Científico da Universidade de Évora
• Subject(s): River; landscape perception; visual atractiveness
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English
• Editor(s): Silva, Jorge Batista; Saraiva, Maria da Graça; Loupa Ramos, Isabel; Bernardo, Fátima

Description

The relationship between rivers and cities has evolved from a natural coexistence and interdependence to a progressive relationship of segregation and disintegration. This article uses a planning experiment to explore and discuss some concerns about visual attractiveness of city–river landscapes in promoting spatial integration of cities and rivers. It presents a methodological approach integrating expert opinions and public perception questionnaires. This is a contribution to making operational an ongoing aesthetic assessment of different dimensions and viewpoints at the city scale. This approach is illustrated with a case-study in the Lisbon metropolitan area and its main assessment results are integrated in a city–river profile that can be useful in ongoing evaluation processes of river landscapes and urban planning practice.