VIRTUAL London.

Abstract

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Urban sprawl and the city’s continuous expansion raises a concern about how to address the urban voids encouraged studies, both in the European context (Solà-Morales, 1995) such as Latin-America (Andréa Borde, 2006; José Almir-Farias, 2012). Using these references, the present research reflects on the continuous urbanization in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro, namely in the railway network. This once formed an infrastructure essential for transportation of people and goods but now faces a progressive state of abandonment, as obsolete and underused infrastructure produces a considerable number of urban voids, between the line threshold and the neighborhood, with vacant forming a rare opportunity for new environmental and commentary spaces. The railway crosses territory with increased urban density, and the railway voids – few of the remaining empty areas – are places of opportunity to improve urban quality. Here we propose a method to analyze these areas, by studying the territory through data, spatial and social analyses, the properties of this territory, and the situation, quantity and size of these voids, examine the data patterns that emerge and the opportunities to leverage design strategies for future urban regeneration. The methodology is tested using a practical case, a section of 19 Km, the Branch MRS Logistica S/ A, in Rio de Janeiro. The authors develop area morphological mapping, analyzing five distinct categories: 1.Thresholds and boundaries, 2.Level crossings, 3.Vegetation and topography, 4.Demographic density, and 5. Land use. The graphical organization of data supports the identification of existing data patterns that are statistically relevant, identifying tendencies and singularities enabling urban strategies for these lost railway voids.