Universitat i nova urbanitat : nous teixits per una nova percepció de la ciutat a Girona

Abstract

The grouped implementation of university facilities in a imbricated way with the city, contributes to the "urban" growth of the city that hosts it. "It would consist of a kind of urbanistic acupuncture technique by which the punctual intervention in some neuralgic places provoke global reactions and improvements in the whole organism" (M. Sola-Morales). The study aimed to research experiences and provide reviews of the university facilities capability to create urbanity areas where it is implants. Urbanity is understood as a final marker that defines the quality of the shape of the city. Furthermore, "imbrication" as not diminishing of effectiveness of the functions of the university. In this sense, as a significant case, an itinerary trough some urban facts has been done. Those urban facts happened in specific areas in the city of Girona as from the gradual creation of new facilities in the newly established university of Girona. The final purpose has been to identify specific facts which allow us to show the impact on the city urbanity, due to the implantation of new university facilities following a polycentric model of two "poles" imbricated with the urban core. A preliminary examination of the physical conditions on the city and on both of the two pole locations where the facilities are implemented jointly, has been done. Then, these was followed by an itinerary which delves into the detailed description of some urban facts related. The facts have been studied in the context of neighborhoods considered "close" to the university activities from each pole of implementation. The detailed itinerary in every implementation area is started by the initial recognition as a territorial node of characteristics of a university facilities group. Mobility attracted by new university students reflects, on the one hand, a dispersion on means of transport used, and on the other hand, varying intensities on the use of different means of transport on each pole and a regular pass through "specific" public areas. However, the varying intensity on different means of transport from university users by using specific public areas of the city supposes an urban perception of university activity with different intensity in each pole. The new urban perception of university activity, activate and increase physic changes in urban fabrics which are linked to each pole. The historic town is stated to be streamlined updating "house by house" building fabric and the renovation of the urbanization of public areas. On the outskirts, it is found that holes have been consolidated in the urban fabric in construction, such as residential hybrid-type and tertiary, as well as residential mono-functional type of low density. In the areas of both poles has increased the quantity and quality of urban services (public transport, telecommunications network, water drainage ... ), at the same time that the university people movement has enliven the atmosphere of public areas of the city. The availability of a renewed fabric, on the measure of mixed contemporary activities, but with different qualities, has attracted a number of residential activities, tertiary and trade intensity in different way on each pole. There are a variety, especially accessibility, between the two poles which means a variety in the type and intensity of activities, especially with regard to the type of trade and offices. This variety of conditions between the linked urban fabrics enriches the range of opportunities to develop different activities through the whole city. At the end of the studied itinerary, a number of relationships have been established between the imbricated implementation of certain university facilities and urban facts. These has allowed us to show that there is an increase of diversified urban activities which could be linked to these university implementation model.