Reptes i Oportunitats de la Densificació dels Teixits Urbans de Baixa Densitat

This article describes a research project that was conducted from 2003 till 2007 for the Deputy Council of the Province of Barcelona and later as well for the Generalitat de Catalunya: Research on Isolated Low Dense Residential Units in the provinces of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona, Spain. This research project was done in collaboration with Architect Joan Barba and Geographer Montse Mercadè. The project consisted out of an initial mapping and description of all “isolated urbanisations” in the four provinces, followed by a profound analysis of the detected units, considering its size, structure, accessibility, social profile, density and other urbanistic conditions and its relation to the surrounding. Later, these units were studied as part of “territorial units”, to study accessibility and mobility patterns and their environmental impact at a bigger scale. This research project focused on the lack of urban structure, the dispersion and lack of internal vertebration, the isolation and lack of integration in the environment, the high level of homogenisation within ( socially and typologically), the lack of quality of the public spaces and weak landscape quality, the quality of the constituent streetscapes, the lack of facilities and services for the units and the lack of social cohesion in the territorial structure. The conclusions and recommendations were used by the local and regional government to change policy and lawmaking regarding the low dens residential landscapes.status: publishe