Rethinking the In-Between: Designing with a socio-ecological approach to activate the potential of Terrain Vague spaces

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24306/plnxt/112

Keywords:

Terrain Vague, urban voids, urban vacant land, innovative practices, urban design

Abstract

Rapid and uncontrolled processes of urbanization expanded cities boundaries and generated a new type of space that can offer rare opportunities. These Terrain Vague spaces are abandoned and open spaces where urban, rural and wild dimensions mingle. They could play a significant role in addressing urgent urban socio-ecological challenges related to sustainable, resilient and inclusive development. These spaces have great value and potential as rare intersections of social and ecological interests. Despite their value, these spaces are constantly at risk of disappearing due to massive urban development pressures and the perception that they are problems to be solved rather than valued. To harness the enormous potential of Terrain Vague, a new approach is necessary. This paper aims to describe a new social-ecological approach that amplifies and activates the potential of Terrain Vague spaces, outlining principles derived from theory and academic literature, and verifying the emergence of projects in line with these principles. For this purpose, nine projects were chosen as case studies, with the aim of demonstrating the concrete implementation of theoretical principles to make an initial attempt at systematizing these projects, and finally, to identify some of the possible strategies implemented in the development of these specific cases.

Published

2025-09-12

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OnlineFirst

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Research article

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Copyright (c) 2024 Lorenzo Stefano Iannizzotto, Alexandra Paio

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies

Lorenzo Stefano Iannizzotto, DINÂMIA’CET-Iscte, Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal

Lorenzo Stefano Iannizzotto (Catania, 1994) is architect, researcher at DINÂMIA’CET-Iscte, PhD student at ISCTE-IUL-Lisbon with FCT funded research THE CARTOGRAPHY OF THE IN-BETWEEN: Rethinking Urban Voids Approach for New Urban Challenges and PhD visiting scholar at University of Westminster, London and Florence, Italy. His master thesis with the title "Construir Entre" was published in 2023. In 2018 and 2021, he worked as architect at Ventura Trindade Arquitectos (Lisbon). In 2021 he won an honorable mention in the competition "Un-locking cities. New scenarios for living," and in 2022 he worked in the research project “SizaATLAS. Filling the Gaps for World Heritage”. In 2025, he took part in organizing the exhibition "Glossary of Portuguese Architecture of Fernando Távora" and the Blended Intensive Program "Activating the Void: Exploring Transdisciplinary Strategies and Practices for Urban Vacant Land," and contributed to the project “Immaterial Matters”, selected for the Lisbon Architecture Trienal.

Alexandra Paio, Department of Architecture and Urbanism, Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal

Alexandra Paio is Architect (Lusíada, 1993), Master in Urban Design (Iscte-IUL, 2002) and PhD in Architecture and Urbanism (Iscte-IUL, 2011). Assistant Professor at Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon. Founder and researcher at the Digital Fabrication Laboratory – Vitruvius Fablab. She coordinates and supervises research in digital architecture: computational design, digital tools and processes to support creative design, emerging housing, public space, and participatory processes. Participates and coordinates workshops and ongoing training with the support of Portuguese industry companies and municipalities in the themes of co-production and participatory processes through digital tools. Special Mention Research and Teaching Forma Award 2022. Regularly writes opinion articles in the national media and newspapers. She is coordinator of the Specialization Course in Collaborative Territories: Processes, Project, Intervention and Entrepreneurship. Co-coordinator of the Professional Master in Digital Innovation for Project Practices (Iscte/FAUP). Regional coordinator of the European MSC-ITN project "RE-DWELL: Delivering Affordable and Sustainable Housing in Europe (2020-2024)".

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