Publication
Can we plan together with purpose, balance, and commitment to the future?
| Summary: | At a time when land is under political, economic, and ecological pressure, the choice between urbanizing rural land or rewilding urban space cannot be treated as a binary decision. This article argues that the Execution Unit (UE), as a contractual and flexible instrument, plays a central role in addressing this tension. This perspective gains particular relevance considering recent legislative amendments to the Legal Framework for Territorial Management Instruments (RJIGT) which, although aimed at responding to pressing needs, raise concerns about the fragmentation of land policy and the weakening of strategic planning. Thus, rather than choosing between urbanizing or rewilding, we must ask: can we plan together to pursue both paths with vision, fairness, and effectiveness? A critical reassessment of the UE is therefore proposed, demonstrating how it can combine rehabilitation and expansion, territorial justice and timely execution. Based on a practical application in a municipality in the central region, in the interior of the country ” in the context of duties performed as a senior technician in local government, in the fields of urbanism, planning, and spatial development, with consolidated knowledge of territorial dynamics and the risks associated with urban expansion to the detriment of the regeneration of existing buildings ” the article presents an integrated proposal: to rehabilitate a vulnerable urban neighborhood while connecting it to an adjacent area of rural land (to be urbanized). It is argued that only through mechanisms of fair distribution and integrated vision can we avoid both the paralysis of underused urban land and the scattered occupation of rural territory. In this light, the Execution Unit emerges as an original and strategic response to current environmental, housing, and legislative challenges. It is argued that only through mechanisms of fair distribution and integrated vision can we avoid both the paralysis of underused urban land and the scattered occupation of rural areas. In this light, the Execution Unit emerges as an original and strategic response to today’s environmental, housing, and legal challenges. |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | Caires, Débora |
| Subject: | Execution Unit Territorial justice Urban equalization Urban planning Interior regions of Portugal Unidade de Execução Justiça Territorial Perequação urbanistica Planeamento Urbanístico Interior de Portugal |
| Year: | 2025 |
| Country: | Portugal |
| Document type: | article |
| Access type: | unknown |
| Associated institution: | Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra |
| Language: | Portuguese |
| Origin: | RevCEDOUA |
| _version_ | 1877840783613100032 |
|---|---|
| author | Caires, Débora |
| author_facet | Caires, Débora |
| author_role | author |
| country_str | PT |
| creators_json_txt | [{\"Person.name\":\"Caires, Débora\"}] |
| datacite.creators.creator.creatorName.fl_str_mv | Caires, Débora |
| datacite.rights.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 |
| datacite.subjects.subject.fl_str_mv | Execution Unit Territorial justice Urban equalization Urban planning Interior regions of Portugal Unidade de Execução Justiça Territorial Perequação urbanistica Planeamento Urbanístico Interior de Portugal |
| datacite.titles.title.fl_str_mv | Can we plan together with purpose, balance, and commitment to the future? Conseguimos planear em conjunto, com sentido, equilíbrio e compromisso com o futuro? |
| dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv | Caires, Débora |
| dc.description.none.fl_str_mv | Num tempo em que a pressão sobre o solo adquire contornos políticos, económicos e ecológicos, a escolha, entre urbanizar solo rústico ou renaturalizar o espaço urbano, não pode ser binária. Este artigo defende que a Unidade de Execução (UE), enquanto instrumento contratual e flexível, assume um papel central na resolução dessa tensão. Esta visão ganha particular relevncia face à s recentes alterações legislativas introduzidas no Regime Jurídico dos Instrumentos de Gestão Territorial (RJIGT) que, embora procurem responder a necessidades prementes, levantam preocupações quanto à fragmentação da política de solo e à fragilização do planeamento estratégico. Assim, mais do que escolher entre urbanizar ou renaturalizar, impõe-se perguntar: conseguimos planear em conjunto para fazer ambas as coisas com visão, equidade e eficácia? Propõe-se, por isso, uma atualização crítica da figura da UE, demonstrando como esta pode articular reabilitação e expansão, justiça territorial e execução célere. Partindo de uma aplicação prática num município da região centro, no interior do país “ no contexto das funções exercidas por técnico superior da administração pública local, nas áreas do urbanismo, planeamento e ordenamento do território, com conhecimento consolidado das dinmicas territoriais e dos riscos associados à expansão urbana em detrimento da regeneração do edificado existente ” o artigo apresenta uma proposta integrada: reabilitar um bairro urbano vulnerável articulando-o com uma zona contígua de solo rústico (a urbanizar). Argumenta-se que apenas com mecanismos de justa repartição e visão de conjunto é possível evitar tanto a paralisia do solo urbano expectante como a ocupação dispersa do solo rústico. A UE surge, assim, como resposta original e estratégica à s exigências ambientais, habitacionais e legislativas atuais. |
| dc.format.none.fl_str_mv | application/pdf |
| dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv | https://doi.org/10.14195/2182-2387_51_3 |
| dc.language.none.fl_str_mv | por |
| dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv | Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra |
| dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 |
| dc.source.none.fl_str_mv | RevCEDOUA; No. 51 (2025): Urbanize rural land or renaturalize urban space?; 53-72 RevCEDOUA; N.º 51 (2025): Urbanizar o solo rústico ou renaturalizar o espaço urbano?; 53-72 0874-1093 2182-2387 10.14195/2182-2387_51 |
| dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv | Execution Unit Territorial justice Urban equalization Urban planning Interior regions of Portugal Unidade de Execução Justiça Territorial Perequação urbanistica Planeamento Urbanístico Interior de Portugal |
| dc.title.fl_str_mv | Can we plan together with purpose, balance, and commitment to the future? Conseguimos planear em conjunto, com sentido, equilíbrio e compromisso com o futuro? |
| dc.type.none.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 |
| description | At a time when land is under political, economic, and ecological pressure, the choice between urbanizing rural land or rewilding urban space cannot be treated as a binary decision. This article argues that the Execution Unit (UE), as a contractual and flexible instrument, plays a central role in addressing this tension. This perspective gains particular relevance considering recent legislative amendments to the Legal Framework for Territorial Management Instruments (RJIGT) which, although aimed at responding to pressing needs, raise concerns about the fragmentation of land policy and the weakening of strategic planning. Thus, rather than choosing between urbanizing or rewilding, we must ask: can we plan together to pursue both paths with vision, fairness, and effectiveness? A critical reassessment of the UE is therefore proposed, demonstrating how it can combine rehabilitation and expansion, territorial justice and timely execution. Based on a practical application in a municipality in the central region, in the interior of the country ” in the context of duties performed as a senior technician in local government, in the fields of urbanism, planning, and spatial development, with consolidated knowledge of territorial dynamics and the risks associated with urban expansion to the detriment of the regeneration of existing buildings ” the article presents an integrated proposal: to rehabilitate a vulnerable urban neighborhood while connecting it to an adjacent area of rural land (to be urbanized). It is argued that only through mechanisms of fair distribution and integrated vision can we avoid both the paralysis of underused urban land and the scattered occupation of rural territory. In this light, the Execution Unit emerges as an original and strategic response to current environmental, housing, and legislative challenges. It is argued that only through mechanisms of fair distribution and integrated vision can we avoid both the paralysis of underused urban land and the scattered occupation of rural areas. In this light, the Execution Unit emerges as an original and strategic response to today’s environmental, housing, and legal challenges. |
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| inst_facet_str | urn:organizationAcronym:iuc{{{_:::_}}}Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra |
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| oai_identifier_str | oai:impactum-journals.uc.pt:article/16583 |
| organization_str_mv | urn:organizationAcronym:iuc |
| person_str_mv | Caires, Débora |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher.none.fl_str_mv | Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra |
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| spelling | en-USCan we plan together with purpose, balance, and commitment to the future?pt-PTConseguimos planear em conjunto, com sentido, equilíbrio e compromisso com o futuro?Caires, DéboraExecution UnitTerritorial justiceUrban equalizationUrban planningInterior regions of PortugalUnidade de ExecuçãoJustiça TerritorialPerequação urbanisticaPlaneamento UrbanísticoInterior de PortugalDireitos de Autor (c) 2025 Débora Caireshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0https://doi.org/10.14195/2182-2387_51_3DOIhttps://impactum-journals.uc.pt/index.php/revcedoua/article/view/16583URLHasVersionhttps://impactum-journals.uc.pt/index.php/revcedoua/article/view/16583/11666URLHasVersionhttps://doi.org/10.14195/2182-2387_51_3DOI2025-11-18en-USAt a time when land is under political, economic, and ecological pressure, the choice between urbanizing rural land or rewilding urban space cannot be treated as a binary decision. This article argues that the Execution Unit (UE), as a contractual and flexible instrument, plays a central role in addressing this tension. This perspective gains particular relevance considering recent legislative amendments to the Legal Framework for Territorial Management Instruments (RJIGT) which, although aimed at responding to pressing needs, raise concerns about the fragmentation of land policy and the weakening of strategic planning. Thus, rather than choosing between urbanizing or rewilding, we must ask: can we plan together to pursue both paths with vision, fairness, and effectiveness? A critical reassessment of the UE is therefore proposed, demonstrating how it can combine rehabilitation and expansion, territorial justice and timely execution. Based on a practical application in a municipality in the central region, in the interior of the country ” in the context of duties performed as a senior technician in local government, in the fields of urbanism, planning, and spatial development, with consolidated knowledge of territorial dynamics and the risks associated with urban expansion to the detriment of the regeneration of existing buildings ” the article presents an integrated proposal: to rehabilitate a vulnerable urban neighborhood while connecting it to an adjacent area of rural land (to be urbanized). It is argued that only through mechanisms of fair distribution and integrated vision can we avoid both the paralysis of underused urban land and the scattered occupation of rural territory. In this light, the Execution Unit emerges as an original and strategic response to current environmental, housing, and legislative challenges. It is argued that only through mechanisms of fair distribution and integrated vision can we avoid both the paralysis of underused urban land and the scattered occupation of rural areas. In this light, the Execution Unit emerges as an original and strategic response to today’s environmental, housing, and legal challenges.pt-PTNum tempo em que a pressão sobre o solo adquire contornos políticos, económicos e ecológicos, a escolha, entre urbanizar solo rústico ou renaturalizar o espaço urbano, não pode ser binária. Este artigo defende que a Unidade de Execução (UE), enquanto instrumento contratual e flexível, assume um papel central na resolução dessa tensão. Esta visão ganha particular relevncia face à s recentes alterações legislativas introduzidas no Regime Jurídico dos Instrumentos de Gestão Territorial (RJIGT) que, embora procurem responder a necessidades prementes, levantam preocupações quanto à fragmentação da política de solo e à fragilização do planeamento estratégico. Assim, mais do que escolher entre urbanizar ou renaturalizar, impõe-se perguntar: conseguimos planear em conjunto para fazer ambas as coisas com visão, equidade e eficácia? Propõe-se, por isso, uma atualização crítica da figura da UE, demonstrando como esta pode articular reabilitação e expansão, justiça territorial e execução célere. Partindo de uma aplicação prática num município da região centro, no interior do país “ no contexto das funções exercidas por técnico superior da administração pública local, nas áreas do urbanismo, planeamento e ordenamento do território, com conhecimento consolidado das dinmicas territoriais e dos riscos associados à expansão urbana em detrimento da regeneração do edificado existente ” o artigo apresenta uma proposta integrada: reabilitar um bairro urbano vulnerável articulando-o com uma zona contígua de solo rústico (a urbanizar). Argumenta-se que apenas com mecanismos de justa repartição e visão de conjunto é possível evitar tanto a paralisia do solo urbano expectante como a ocupação dispersa do solo rústico. A UE surge, assim, como resposta original e estratégica à s exigências ambientais, habitacionais e legislativas atuais.Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbraapplication/pdfen-USRevCEDOUA; No. 51 (2025): Urbanize rural land or renaturalize urban space?; 53-72pt-PTRevCEDOUA; N.º 51 (2025): Urbanizar o solo rústico ou renaturalizar o espaço urbano?; 53-720874-10932182-238710.14195/2182-2387_51porjournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501literatureVoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85 |
| spellingShingle | Can we plan together with purpose, balance, and commitment to the future? Caires, Débora Execution Unit Territorial justice Urban equalization Urban planning Interior regions of Portugal Unidade de Execução Justiça Territorial Perequação urbanistica Planeamento Urbanístico Interior de Portugal |
| status | SINGLETON |
| status_str | VoR |
| subject.fl_str_mv | Execution Unit Territorial justice Urban equalization Urban planning Interior regions of Portugal Unidade de Execução Justiça Territorial Perequação urbanistica Planeamento Urbanístico Interior de Portugal |
| title | Can we plan together with purpose, balance, and commitment to the future? |
| title_full | Can we plan together with purpose, balance, and commitment to the future? |
| title_fullStr | Can we plan together with purpose, balance, and commitment to the future? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can we plan together with purpose, balance, and commitment to the future? |
| title_short | Can we plan together with purpose, balance, and commitment to the future? |
| title_sort | Can we plan together with purpose, balance, and commitment to the future? |
| topic | Execution Unit Territorial justice Urban equalization Urban planning Interior regions of Portugal Unidade de Execução Justiça Territorial Perequação urbanistica Planeamento Urbanístico Interior de Portugal |
| topic_facet | Execution Unit Territorial justice Urban equalization Urban planning Interior regions of Portugal Unidade de Execução Justiça Territorial Perequação urbanistica Planeamento Urbanístico Interior de Portugal |
| url | https://doi.org/10.14195/2182-2387_51_3 |
| visible | 1 |
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