Regional Polycentrism in a Mountainous Territory: The Case of Covilhã (Portugal) and Alpine Cities

Abstract

The Portuguese mountain city of Covilhã possesses a singular industrial tradition. Today, many of the urban interventions undertaken result in an urban space and landscape disconnected from the mountains. Alpine mountain cities emerge as emblematic, given the representativeness the Alps assume within the context of European mountains. In the Alpine region, the polycentric system of cities condenses the characteristics associated with the topographical particularities and singular types of inter-municipal and cross-border relationships, where the economic changes and regional policies can be observed with greater clarity due to their specificity. In general terms, the quality of life, based on the landscape values, the identification of the citizens with their territory, and on the territorial planning at different scales, emerges as being linked to the construction of a brand identity based on sustainable urban development. It is in this sphere that the study of Alpine cases can inspire good practices to be applied in the Portuguese territory of the Beira Interior, namely in the medium-sized cities and in the synergies between them and the natural spaces. Thus Covilhã finds itself in an advantageous position to use its situation to construct a city brand in harmony with the mountain territory.

Does New Urbanization Promote Urban Metabolic Efficiency?

“…Raising the level of urban-rural integration can speed up the creation of an integrated urban-rural ecological recycling system, enable resource sharing and recycling between urban and rural areas, reduce resource waste and consumption, and enhance the effectiveness of energy use and the ecological environment [74,75]. Increasing the level of regional synergistic development can strengthen the industrial division of labor and cooperation between cities and neighboring regions, create value chains with complementary advantages, encourage structural adjustment, transformation, and upgrading of the urban economy, and increase the total factor productivity of cities [76,77].…”

Conhecimento, Criatividade e Novas Dinâmicas Urbanas: Repensar os Territórios de Baixa Densidade em Portugal

“…Este mimetismo de transferência rápida de políticas leva as pequenas cidades a seguirem 'imaginários metropolitanos' (Van Heur, 2010), frequentemente com resultados inadequados. Como alerta o geógrafo catalão Francesc Muñoz… "As autoridades, geralmente sob pressão do desenvolvimento e crescimento urbano, e inspiradas nas histórias de sucesso, tendem a minimizar a importância da natureza básica da criatividade e dos bens histórico-culturais das cidades, o que tende a resultar em procedimentos normativos padrão e quadros de desenvolvimento urbano no sentido de transformar as cidades em capitais tecno-criativos" (Muñoz, 2010: 4).…”

“…No entanto, interessa salientar que estes novos processos redinamizadores dos territórios de baixa densidade tendem a evitar, por poder originar resultados inadequados, a adopção de estratégias de desenvolvimento inspiradas em 'imaginários criativos' mimetizados das grandes cidades e metrópoles (Van Heur, 2010). Tais razões levam a considerar outras variáveis e indicadores para "captar" o que é específico e característico do potencial criativo de pequenas cidades.…”