Urban bioregion: the conceptual and design trajectory in the texts of Alberto Magnaghi

Authors

  • Thaís Souza Pimentel Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Departamento de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Vitória, ES, Brazil https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7237-3232
  • Renata Hermanny de Almeida Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Departamento de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Vitória, ES, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8046-6665

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22296/2317-1529.rbeur.202513pt

Keywords:

Methods Techniques and Planning Instruments, Regional Planning, Urbanization, Alberto Magnaghi, Urban bioregion, Ecoterritorialism, Figurative representation

Abstract

Contained within the discussions on contemporary urbanization, critiques of the center-periphery model of the metropolis form, and debates on current environmental challenges, Alberto Magnaghi (1941–2023) proposed a paradigm shift, replacing the regulations that govern contemporary urbanization with a new approach centered around the concept of the urban bioregion. Through an analysis of Magnaghi’s seminal works, this article aims to present the conceptual development of the urban bioregion, both in its theoretical and practical aspects, underscoring its significance within an ecoterritorialist framework and proposing a figurative representation model. Thus, the unifying nature of the urban bioregion is emphasized, since it places equal importance on both humans and nature, while its revolutionary character challenges prevailing economic, political, productive, and habitational logics. Moreover, the article proposes adopting minimal bioregional units to identify urban bioregions, and highlights the reflective, complex, and relational nature of the concept through a figurative representation model.

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Author Biographies

Thaís Souza Pimentel, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Departamento de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Vitória, ES, Brazil

Graduated in Architecture and Urbanism from the Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (2021). Currently, a master's student on the Postgraduate Program in Architecture and Urbanism at the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (2023-), concentrating on Cities and Territorial Impacts, and affiliated to the research line of Heritage, Sustainability, and Technology. She is a member of the Laboratório Patrimônio & Desenvolvimento (Patri_Lab).

Renata Hermanny de Almeida, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Departamento de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Vitória, ES, Brazil

Graduated in Architecture and Urbanism from the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (1986). Holds a master’s degree in Architecture and Urbanism, with a concentration in Conservation and Restoration, from the Universidade Federal da Bahia (1993), and a doctorate in Architecture and Urbanism, with a concentration in Theory and Practice of Conservation and Restoration, from the Universidade Federal da Bahia (2005). She is a Full Professor at the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, working in the Department of Architecture and Urbanism (1992-) and the Postgraduate Program in Architecture and Urbanism (2007-). She is the coordinator of the Laboratório Patrimônio & Desenvolvimento (Patri_Lab) (2009-).

References

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Published

2025-04-27

How to Cite

Pimentel, T. S., & Almeida, R. H. de. (2025). Urban bioregion: the conceptual and design trajectory in the texts of Alberto Magnaghi. Revista Brasileira De Estudos Urbanos E Regionais, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.22296/2317-1529.rbeur.202513pt

Issue

Vol. 27 No. 1 (2025): Janeiro-Dezembro

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Articles

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