Urban research
Sustainable City
A study of urban sustainability that examines the relationship between development, natural resources and environmental limits, using Barcelos as its case study.
- Location
- Barcelos, Portugal
- Project type
- Master’s thesis · 2008–2011
- Focus
- Urban research
The project
Development within environmental limits
The thesis considers how urban development and the exploitation of natural resources can affect ecosystems, biodiversity and cultural heritage. It argues for planning that recognises environmental limits and the long-term conditions needed to sustain human life.
Energy and the city
Population growth and changing levels of consumption provide the context for a discussion of alternatives to fossil fuels. Solar energy, hydropower, wind power and biomass are considered within the wider question of how cities can develop more sustainably.
The Barcelos case study
Using the city of Barcelos, the research examines existing conditions and the requirements for a more sustainable urban environment. The work formed part of the Master in Architecture at Lusíada University in Vila Nova de Famalicão, completed between 2008 and 2011.
Cover visualisation of the Sustainable City master’s thesis.