Waterfront and Streets as Elements of Landscape Valorisation

The project is located at the coastal sand dune area of Arraial do Cabo city, in Rio de Janeiro State. The region, traditionally occupied by fishing communities, is located within several environmental protection areas that share the objective of protecting the coastal sand dune ecosystem and its importance to the local biophysical structure. However, the region is currently under pressure from tourism activities and unplanned urban expansion, leading to the privatization of parts of the coastline, displacement of fishing communities, and exerting pressure on protected areas, local heritage, and identity.
The objective of this project is to propose a set of guidelines that minimize the negative impacts of this occupation, value the traditional occupation of fishermen, and contribute to the preservation and appreciation of the local landscape. This will be achieved through the analysis of human occupation in the area and its relationships with nature, using the methodology recommended by the European Landscape Convention, specifically the methodologies for Landscape Catalogs and Maps developed by the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. The project seeks to consolidate a type of appropriation/design of the existing streets in the area. It is proposed that these areas receive a landscape treatment with sinuous designs, returning the streets to pedestrians and the coastal vegetation. The roads will be surfaced with gravel, creating focal points for pedestrian access to the beach, marked by the coastal vegetation, and preventing vehicle access to the area.