Green structure and planning evolution in Porto

Abstract

The 20th century produced completely distinct contexts for the implementation of green structures at the Municipality of Porto. This paper examines the transformations that occurred to the green structure of the city of Porto during the 20th century, based on spatial analysis and comparison of four planning instruments produced between 1954 and 2006. This period was marked both by intense urban growth, which diminished the city's green areas. Successive master plans for the city were an opportunity for the definition of Porto's green structure. However, the opportunity was not taken hence fragmentation and discontinuity of green structures occurred. Overall, the planning process through the century can be seen as a lost opportunity in maintaining a continuous and multifunctional green structure. This situation calls for green infrastructure as a large-scale planning framework adapted to the reality of today's metropolitan territories.