Committee:
     PRESIDENT: LLOP TORNE, CARLOS JUAN
     SECRETARI: MENDOZA ARROYO, MARIA DEL CARMEN
     VOCAL: SAINZ GUTIERREZ, VICTORIANO
Thesis abstract: Hydrological Region 36 (RH36) is one of the 37 hydrological regions identified in Mexico by the National Water Commission. Within this region lie the basins of the Nazas and Aguanaval rivers, two endorheic rivers in northwestern Mexico. The waters of these rivers have enabled the Metropolitan Area of La Laguna to become a prosperous region with a significant agro-industrial sector. This success was achieved through the regulation of the rivers, primarily the Nazas River, via the construction of dams and canals between 1930 and 1990. However, the control established over the Nazas River through the Lázaro Cárdenas and Francisco Zarco dams, as well as the network of canals in the lower basin, exacerbated the loss of the Mayrán Lagoon at its mouth and led to the disappearance of flow in the lower basin in the area of Torreón, Gómez Palacio, and Lerdo.In the lower basins of RH36, there is significant water stress resulting from the overexploitation of major aquifers and the reduced availability of water resources due to the impacts of climate change. This research is based on the hypothesis that the severe water stress is partly caused by the disconnection between the regional infrastructure for water storage and distribution, agricultural irrigation systems, rural and urban populations, and their productive agricultural areas. Additionally, it is argued that hydraulic infrastructures have been planned without considering the regional urban context of the lower basin and its logical dimensions, leading to disruptions in the ecological matrix and the organization of rural populations.The research employs a basin approach to define the scope of the study. It sustained that for the restructuring of populations and the potential fluvial restoration of the Nazas and Aguanaval rivers, it is essential to understand the organization of all communities within the geographical boundaries. Each of the 33 sub-basins that make up RH36 are subject to an in-depth analysis of its urban and rural fabric. In addition to populations, the study of agricultural areas, hydraulic infrastructure, and road networks is a fundamental part of this basin approach.The thesis is organized into four chapters. The first chapter outlines the methodology, hypothesis, objectives, and the general structure of RH36. It also includes references to water storage structures in various contexts with geographical conditions similar to RH36. The second chapter is an atlas aimed at constructing morphological information about the 33 sub-basins of the region, including their urban, rural, and agricultural areas. This atlas is one of the main contributions of the research and serves as a prelude to Chapters III and IV. Chapter III explores global references on river restoration and dam removal, which serve as a foundation for Chapter IV, where the strategic approach to fluvial restoration in RH36 is presented.Finally, the research presents conclusions based on a thorough analysis of the urban and rural fabric, the hydrographic network, and hydraulic infrastructure. It argues that hydraulic infrastructures located in the urban-rural transition zones of intermediate cities within RH36 can provide ecosystem services and promote ecological and productive balance in the region. Furthermore, it maintains that the hydrological restoration in the lower courses of the Nazas and Aguanaval rivers is directly dependent on the restructuring of hydraulic infrastructure in both urban and rural populations throughout Hydrological Region 36.

Committee:
     PRESIDENT: MONEO VALLÉS, JOSE RAFAEL
     SECRETARI: CROSAS ARMENGOL, CARLES
     VOCAL: ROSAS VERA, JOSÉ
     VOCAL: LLEÓ FERNÁNDEZ, BLANCA
     VOCAL: GÓMEZ ESCODA, EULÀLIA MARIA
Thesis abstract: The written work of Manuel de Solà-Morales deserves a central place in his intellectual biography, along with the pedagogical experience and the urban projects he developed; teaching, practice and writings are the three pillars on which his scientific personality is based. The thesis’s object of study is his urban thought matured in articles and books, synthetic expression of ideas and urban visions.“Manuel de Solà-Morales, writing and thought” presents three groups of results:1. Systematic catalogues of articles and books (plus some complements) organized according to a chronological basis. The exhaustive register of the written material allows “access” to the entire documentary body of the thesis. Subsidiarily, it suggests links and facilitates knowledge of four unpublished texts (in annex).2. A hypothesis of grouping of articles (and books) -accents to the catalogue- based on complementary concepts and chronological sequences; it allows to “describe” with prospective intention the material under study based on twenty topics that deconstruct and structure his complex thinking. This chapter establishes the bases for a potential scientific biography.3. The identification and glossing of some emerging ideas of the thought of Manuel de Solà-Morales. They are developed in seven essays based on some of his theoretical texts. The essays relate concepts, complementary or contradictory, that encompass, seen as a whole, the main axes of his thinking; they allow to “understand” his intellectual legacy.The essays, personal and speculative, do not pretend to be a precise chronicle (although they do not avoid it) of the evolution of Manuel de Solà-Morales. They are autonomous texts that perhaps outline a narrative. Indirectly, they hint at a canon of significant writings.The essays highlight the themes that constitute the conceptual framework of Manuel de Solà-Morales's thought. In addition to identifying the “ensanche” (extension) as a relevant topic in his synthesis of the urban knowledge -not only because the content of the articles, but also because the methodological exemplarity they show as an illustration of an intellectual intention-, from the intersection of arguments they present, emerge other issues: the urban history based on the concept “ idea in city ” that is stated in the Deu lliçons methodology; the fragmentary vision of the city, indebted to the current value of the 19th century proto-urbanism; the roman idea of foundation that underlies the growth processes on the abstraction of the layout; the urban project and architecture in the “ artifact city ”, which progressively incorporates the sensitivity of the peri-urban and new forms of growth on informal territories; the city – territory dialectic as an open debate between the metropolitan and the materiality of urban places. In this line, as a background argument -more thought than theory- the action on the urban is elucidated between sensory experience and memory -individual and collective- as an expression of the narratives that construct the phenomena in the city, from observation and consciousness, from interpretation and intuition.We can establish, as an open end, a certain duality -chronological and methodological- between a world of study focused on the structures of urban growth and the ideas that support the meaning of each urban fact -perfectly illustrated by the accumulation of writings on the ensanches- and a more material vision of the urban focused on the dialectic architecture vs city -illustrated by the idea of “the urban things”- that culminates the intellectual journey of Manuel de Solà-Morales.

Committee:
     PRESIDENT: LLOP TORNE, CARLOS JUAN
     SECRETARI: GALLEGO PICARD, ELISA
     VOCAL: LONGHIN, ELENA
     VOCAL NO PRESENCIAL: MEDINA ACOSTA, MERCEDES
     VOCAL NO PRESENCIAL: OSORIO GUZMAN, ANA MARIA
Thesis abstract: Bogotá, located in a lacustrine savanna surrounded by páramos and wetlands, has been shaped throughout its history by its relationship with water. From the muisca camellones to modern urbanization processes, the city has integrated rivers, canals, and streams into its urban fabric. Water, “sie,” has been the subject of study from various disciplines, highlighting its environmental, economic, and social significance. However, the traditional approach in Bogotá has focused on water supply and risk control, often leading to overexploitation of the resource and a reductionist representation on maps, where water is depicted as a simple blue line, disconnected from its context, resulting in a loss of environmental quality.In light of the current climate crisis, it is imperative to reexamine the relationship between water and territory with a more holistic and sensitive approach, especially from an environmental perspective. This research is based on the hypothesis that Bogotá acts as an interface between páramos and wetlands, revealing the need for new interpretations of how water interacts with the territory. The main objective is to explain the interactions between water and the city of Bogotá, shedding light on the role of water in the city through two epistemological approaches: water as a subject of rights and as a network agent.The thesis uses hydrocartographies, combining data analysis techniques with interpretative drawings and empirical observations to provide a comprehensive view of the different representations of water and its influence on territorial configuration. The proposed trans-scalar and multidimensional approach allows questioning traditional analyses and exploring new solutions based on an understanding of water’s natural cycles.We conclude that in Bogotá, water acts as a dynamic agent in the spatial dialogue between the urban environment and bodies of water, redefining boundaries through a trans-scalar approach that challenges traditional limits and proposes a more harmonious integration of territorial components. Since no cartography is definitive and each representation reflects processes in constant flux, the study suggests a new way of appreciating the territory’s attributes, promoting a reconciliation between water and the city while emphasizing the constancy of change, the fluidity. This deeper understanding highlights the need to adapt urban planning to consider water not only as a static resource but as a subject of rights and an agent in constant influence over urban development. The vision of Bogotá as a city of wetlands, interacting with páramos and basins, would make water dynamics visible in urban planning, challenging territorial models that have ignored its presence.

Committee:
     PRESIDENT: SARDÀ FERRAN, JORDI
     SECRETARI: SPANOU, IOANNA
     VOCAL: MORAITIS, KONSSTANTINOS
Thesis abstract: The thesis researched for a hybrid interdisciplinary system of tools that could help decode coastal landscapes. The west Attic shoreline, a space of contrasts and surprises, stands as a forgotten landscape awaiting rediscovery. Amidst the interplay of urbanity and landscape Attica, unfolds dynamic perspectives as a cultural ecotone. Until now, a comprehensive cartographic study of the western Attic coast, has been absent. The research delves into the cultural formation of perspectives on the coast, examining how both foreign and local intellectuals have shaped these views over time. It investigates the Grand Tour and its contemporary interpretations, the 1930’s, seeking to understand their influence on the collective imagination regarding Attica. It provides a synthesized overview of the historical aspect, spanning from antiquity to the touristic evolution of today. The research navigated through toponymy and landscape, historical archives and old maps focusing especially on the west Attic coastal terrain. The research also endeavors to adopt the lens of the seventh art, cinema. The research explores the sensorial gaze Attica and the local cinema 1950’s selection of coastal shots. From a cultural and sensory standpoint, cinema offers a unique lens through which the coast is perceived. It allows to explore the emotional and experiential aspects of coastal life, capturing the essence of the seaside environment. Cinema, with its storytelling capabilities can help us connect with the coast on a personal and emotional level. By dissecting films where the landscape takes on a protagonist role, the research shifts its focus to cinema as a tool for articulating the intricacies of the coastal environment – a novel and imaginative approach to apprehending its essence. In this context, cinema is not merely regarded as a narrative artistic form; rather, it emerges as a potent medium for both representation and comprehension. Finally, the thesis delves into an exploration of the landscape through original mapping and cartography, aiming to uncover dynamics and qualitative attributes. The overarching goal is to dissect the coastal expanse, unravelling its configuration, fundamental traits, and prominent landscape elements. Through cartography, an effort is made to discern the intricate relationships between various entities, navigating scales and offering an interpretive lens grounded in landscape perspective. On the other hand, the morphological and cartographical approach involves an examination of the physical characteristics and spatial layout of the coast. This includes the topography, land use patterns, and geographical features that shape the coastal region. By delving into these aspects, a deeper understanding of how the coast functions is gained and how it can be harnessed for various purposes, from urban landscape planning to environmental conservation. The spatial configuration of the ground, the surface as infrastructure in the sense of landscape armature and ecological aspects seen as a systemic network, could help integrate the natural landscape in the discussion of rejuvenating the city in a resilient way. Landscape architecture as an interface between city and nature is proposing interdisciplinary processes to apply.

Committee:
     PRESIDENT: CASTIÑEIRA PALOU, MARIA ISABEL
     SECRETARI: PAGLIUSO DE ANDRADE, ANA CAROLINA
     VOCAL NO PRESENCIAL: IRACHETA CENECORTA, ALFONSO XAVIER
Thesis abstract: The present research is an urban study about Tijuana, whose purpose is to understand the historical processes that have outlined it from its regional origins, the evolution of urban processes and its built materiality, in perspective, where we come from and where we are going. It proposes to reveal the roots and implications of its materiality, which are reflected in a way of doing things, in its own ways of living, which raise several questions: Why is the city the way it is? What is the origin of these shapes? What makes it different from cities in other latitudes and even from the same region? How has your transformation been? What urban processes have outlined it? What are the implications of this materiality in the way of life of its inhabitants?The research is based on three methods of analysis: historical-regional, urban evolution and morphological. The first refers to the analysis of the regional context, from the colonization processes to the formation of new cities and the origin of some deep-rooted urban practices that reveal the roots of a regional identity. Secondly, the evolution approach studies the transformation of urban practices, ways of living and building, and forms of growth that change in identifiable stages over time. The morphological approach focuses on the urban residential fabric at various scales, revealing the ways of living and building, through the categorization of the different elements of the fabric: the home, the plot and the block.The treatment of these approaches is carried out through the analysis of three factors that constitute transversal axes of the study: territory, society and urban planning. The shape of the territory poses various challenges to urban growth, especially in a city like Tijuana, with a rugged topography. The social sphere has a life of its own, with cultural and lifestyle references that, in the case of Tijuana, is a city of migrants from different regions of the country, a recently created multicultural city. The role of urban planning is as an intermediary between territory-society and material construction, through the application of standards, policies and actions in the public sphere.The methodological structure is made up of desk work and field work. The first consists of documentary, statistical and cartographic analysis, whose main sources of information are urban studies of Tijuana, statistical, cartographic and photographic bases from different local, national and international sources. The field work consists of interviews with key actors, trips to different areas of the city for on-site observation, informal interviews with inhabitants and the creation of a photographic album. It is applied research that generates practical knowledge about specific areas, processes and interventions for urban planning. At the same time, the research is supported by a theoretical body that supports its findings, especially in a characteristic approach of the studies developed in the Department of Urbanism and Territorial Planning of the Barcelona School of Architecture.One of the main contributions of the study is found in its morphological approach that provides a base drawn at different scales of the physical structuring of the city that allows a better understanding of the parts that compose it, and in turn, its materiality as a whole. In general, the study provides interdisciplinary and theoretical-practical knowledge as a starting point for intervention, for the proposal of urban transformation, regeneration and rehabilitation projects, especially of the residential fabric, as well as elements of reflection for the construction of a city model of its own, a thoughtful city.

Committee:
     PRESIDENT: MARTI CASANOVAS, MIQUEL
     SECRETARI: BRAVO, LUISA
     VOCAL: OKTAY, DERYA
Thesis abstract: Iran's traditional bazaars, having endured since the inception of urban centres, represent pivotal urban complexes integral to the historical and cultural fabric of the city. With their remarkable physical and functional resilience and adaptability, they grew and evolved in the dense fabric of traditional Iranian cities over a long time. This study recognises these bazaars as living entities that have developed and persisted, some traversing the expanse of centuries to reach the present era. These sites are considered treasuries of urban planning, architectural innovation, and repositories of societal values, signifying one of Iran's most significant national heritages. They serve as physical embodiments of Iranian artistry and manifestations of Iranian thought, reflecting spatial and semantic unity within their diverse physical structures.During the pre-modern era, the bazaar served as the nucleus of Iranian cities, acting as the central public gathering space and significantly shaping their socio-spatial structure. However, the bazaar's role and significance in the postmodern town have become increasingly obscured, influenced by a complex interplay of political, economic, social, and urban management transformations over the past century.The natural coexistence and clarity of the bazaar within the old city persisted for centuries. Yet, the advent of modernity has made the relationship between the city and its constituent elements considerably more intricate. This research endeavours to elucidate the present-day dynamics of this relationship, embarking on an exploration of the Iranian bazaar's historical and contemporary existence, conceptualised as a dynamic, living entity. With the help of this analogy, the study seeks to dissect the evolutionary stages, lifestyles, behavioural patterns, and the factors contributing to the survival or decline of these urban organisms.The study tried to portray the contemporary essence of Iran's oldest and noblest urban spaces by using diverse quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including descriptive analysis and visual documentation. The comparative method was used to analyse a set of Iranian bazaars in terms of physical and social life in different periods. Consequently, inductive research was done by gathering an extensive dataset from diverse bazaar samples and subjecting them to meticulous morphological and typo-morphological analysis. Furthermore, the research addressed the vitality of Iranian bazaars by focusing on a specific case study, the Shiraz bazaar, using a multifaceted approach encompassing observation, interviews, and fieldwork. Ultimately, the research findings were converted into simple and understandable patterns, facilitating a cohesive understanding of the results.The outcomes of this research will likely contribute substantively to the preservation and better understanding of this invaluable urban legacy, helping maintain the position of these urban complexes in Iranian cities and related projects in the future.

Committee:
     PRESIDENT: FRANQUESA SANCHEZ, JORDI
     SECRETARI: ROCAMONDE LOURIDO, JAVIER
     VOCAL: PERARNAU LLORENÇ, JAUME
Thesis abstract: This research analyses the transformation of the headwaters of the River Llobregat stemming from the impact of coal mining and industrialisation and understands these activities as the basis of the territory's current configuration. The study explores three main working hypotheses.The first maintains that coal mining has driven the transition from a system dedicated to rural activities to one dedicated to industrial activities, which is expressed in the appearance of settlements incorporating foreign populations along the communication routes.The second suggests that industrial activity defines the landscape of the headwaters of the Llobregat, with newly created centres of activity and the transformation of existing ones.The third affirms that coal mining introduced modernity to this territory, bringing new concepts in areas such as forms of construction, residential types, facilities and services.However, we defend that the industrial past can become an opportunity for revaluing the territory, with local development projects based on cultural resources.The hypotheses are grouped into three areas, which unfold over seven chapters that also address other secondary hypotheses. The analysis is developed chronologically, addressing the mining phenomenon from a stage prior to exploitation, during exploitation and finally from the perspective of the present day.

Committee:
     PRESIDENT: RUBERT DE VENTOS, MARIA
     SECRETARI: MARTI CASANOVAS, MIQUEL
     VOCAL: GÓMEZ ORDOÑEZ, JOSÉ LUIS
     VOCAL: SARDÀ FERRAN, JORDI
     VOCAL: GARCIA FONTAN, CRISTINA
Thesis abstract: "Hypothesis on a Line" analyses the impact that the construction of the railway has had on the urban centres along the interior lines of the Catalan network. The integration of a territorial mobility infrastructure into these fragile territories, with their seemingly modest urban heritage, has exerted a prolonged and significant influence from its inception to the present day.In the first part, the thesis focuses on the line from Granollers to Sant Joan de les Abadesses (GRN-SJA) and on eight of the urban centres it connects. This mining railway project, designed by Ildefons Cerdà, highlights the overlap of its ideological and theoretical foundation with its actual construction. Although initially projected for the extraction of coal in Ogassa, the arrival of the train had a significant impact on the towns, paradigmatically reflected in the urban morphology of each of the eight analysed localities. In the second part, the research extends the observation of the railway's impact to a selection of forty-four urban realities in various territories of the Catalan interior railway network.The thesis shows how the reaction of each urban centre is complementary, and sometimes contradictory to its own urban evolution. This evolution shifts from the initial optimism and confidence in progress generated by the railway, through its obsolescence as a communication system, to its current potential as a sustainable means of transport. The introduction of the railway as an external element with strong infrastructural conditions initially creates an urban tension with the station building, influenced by the physical distance and its symbolic value within the context of these towns. This situation brings about a first generation of urban elements: the station square, the station street, and the station neighbourhood. Subsequently, another set of elements will emerge, forming the 'other side' of the track, with facilities of wider territorial scope that contribute to enriching the syntax of contemporary railway urbanity.The set of urban reactions faces the geometric heritage of the railway with the traditional suburban nature of the surrounding urban fabrics. Thus, the local differences of each urban reality are linked by a territorial similarity that makes them common and comparable as part of the same line. The elements constructed over more than a century around this infrastructure display varying degrees of identity, transformation, and opportunity, acquiring greater complexity when viewed from the perspective of the entire railway space. The fragmentary urbanity of the railway invites to reflect on the different degrees of urban belonging and the hypothetical intensification of uses around the station and, by extension, throughout the entire railway urban space.Historically, the railway infrastructure has become an 'implant' that, in some cases, coexists with the urban fabric without generating significant effects around it. In other cases, it has created urban links or 'grafts' in its surroundings. Additionally, the continuity of the railway edges and their transversal capillarity with the nearby urban fabrics define an intermediate space with notable potential for transformation and improvement.Finally, the thesis seeks to demonstrate the ongoing relevance of the accumulated railway urbanity in some of the urban centres it connects, and its potential beyond the station area. From a trans-scalar perspective, it aims to highlight the Catalan interior railway lines as a heritage to be preserved and enhanced in the future.

Committee:
     PRESIDENT: LLOP TORNE, CARLOS JUAN
     SECRETARI: SALVÀ MATAS, CATALINA
     VOCAL: ARRIBAS NAVARRO, LUIS DIEGO
     VOCAL: ROMÁN LÓPEZ, MARIA EMILIA
     VOCAL: MATIAS RODRIGUEZ, ROBERTO
Thesis abstract: The purpose of this research is to analyze the processes of reclamation of mining areas in Spain. A systematic review of the literature on this matter shows that, although there are numerous publications addressing different ways to intervene in these places, most explain the interventions in an isolated and generic manner, or as specific cases, without analyzing the entirety of the processes employed as systems of successive stages. These studies also do not pay enough attention to how changes between different stages have occurred, the factors that have influenced the transition from one trend to another, or the shift from rejection to appreciation of the mining landscapes. All of this marks the starting point of this thesis, in which we aim to uncover the processes followed in the reclamation of mining areas and to observe the changes in attitudes that have occurred from one trend to another. This would be its main contribution.By exploring the main ideas and theories that have marked the path towards the reclamation of mining spaces, we highlight how long it has taken to understand them as cultural heritage in Spain. Its recognition dates back only three or four decades, during which, however, significant advances have been achieved and unique projects have taken place.In the thesis, we demonstrate how different dimensions have been incorporated into the reclamation processes, starting from pioneering cases—preceding the more common and legally required interventions—to other reference examples. We analyze the identified processes to reveal how progress has been made, from the initial demands for adequate environmental conditions to the recognition of mining heritage and the appreciation of mining traces. We particularly focus on how the cultural dimension has been integrated into the mining reclamation processes, from the early, relatively small-scale interventions to larger projects that incorporate numerous remnants related to that activity, culminating in the creation of territorial parks. We highlight the moment when the reclamation of mining areas, previously carried out due to legal obligation or the mining companies' initiative, became a social demand aimed at fostering local development. We also consider the valorization of the geological interest of many mining sites and their reclamation as a result of that progress.We defend the representativeness of the case studies, verifying that, although they are exceptional considering the numerous abandoned mines, they end up setting a clear trend while also being representative of the reclamation processes that could be applied in similar contexts. We uncover their components and the patterns that repeat in many of them, establishing guidelines for future projects and offering lessons on the factors that ensure weaknesses do not hinder the reclamation of mining landscapes but instead promote their revaluation and use for the common good.