Resumo (PT):
Abstract (EN):
Shopping has been considered the principal wealth-generator of post-modern societies. Yet,
two elements continually elude current theories and practices about the role of commerce on a wider
perspective. Rarely is it considered an active agent in the structuring of the city and, furthermore, most
studies have solely focused on the geographical, economic and social dimensions of shopping, neglecting
its morphological dimension. Only in the last 10 years have authors addressed this perspective, although
sporadically and presenting focused views, resulting in a lack of knowledge and, ultimately, in the lack of
proper public policies. This paper aims to address the structuring nature of commerce and the influence
of its morphological component. For that it combines knowledge from various fields of research and a
large array of morphological variables at various resolution levels. Using as test-beds four Portuguese
medium-sized cities, GIS-models containing commercial, morphological, structural and temporal
variables were produced, explored and compared. Findings include i) the definition of commercial /
morphological indicators, that can constitute values of reference or comparison for commercial policies
and other planning studies; ii) the evidence that morphological, rather than statistical similarities
generate, on the micro-scale, more commercial similarities; and iii) the main bridging aspects between
commercial activity and the form and structure of cities.
Language:
English
Type (Professor's evaluation):
Scientific