Desafios para uma cidade ciclável: um exercício de design estratégico

Abstract

In Strategic Design, the exercise of using metadesign in order to project a Cyclable City can contribute towards the development of those cities whose transportation infrastructure is less than ideal, if this exercise is viewed through the lens of value-generating social innovation. In this particular context, a ‘less than ideal transportation infrastructure’ means an urban space in which there is a cycling network which has been adapted to the existing automobile and pedestrian traffic infrastructure, in a manner that is unnatural and/or imposing, causing the possibilities of success of any urban cycling strategies to range from very scarce to completely absent. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to envisage imaginary scenarios for a city whose transportation infrastructure is of the aforementioned type. The research includes the notions of urbanity and urban culture, it explains the concepts of territories and of creative cities and connects these ideas with those of direction and flow of people. By means of its pillars and its processes, Strategic Design delves deep into the exercise of applying metadesign for social innovation. It utilizes the method of project by scenarios so that the process can become a fertile ground for practices and strategies which could shape the building of a Cyclable City. Methodologically, this research is divided into three distinct phases. The first stage comprises a field study. The second part focuses on a workshop with the aim of projecting scenarios. On the third and last stage, a connection is established between the data collected in the field and the scenarios projected during the workshop. Finally, the author proposes a scenario which combines the most relevant points raised by means of these different methods and processes for the creation of a Cyclable City.