WATERSCAPES AND THE INFLUENCE OF WATER RESOURCES AS STRUCTURING ELEMENTS OF THE URBAN LANDSCAPE

Abstract

In the construction of urban space, the link between man and water over the centuries justifies Anne W. Spirn's statement 'Water is the city´s life blood'. Although sustainability and the mitigation of environmental crises are currently being sought, with the application of ecosystem practices in the planning of the urban environment, water is still not considered to be the most important and central element in environmental and ecological projects. This article is part of the author´s doctoral thesis research, which focuses on the structuring role of water resources, especially rivers, in the creation and regeneration of the urban landscape. By analyzing the project to renaturalize and build the Rio-Madrid park, using an empirical approach, we sought to understand the relationship between water resources and urban development. By studying the interventions on the Manzanares River in Madrid, central Spain, it was possible to identify not only landscape issues, but also ecological, social and mobility issues.