Cidades sensíveis à água: cidades verdes ou cidades compactas, eis a questão?

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a research which aims to examine the dichotomies which exist in the point of views on sustainable cities for the balance of the urban water cycle. On one side there is the model of “green cities”, which advocates the preservation of large green areas with low occupation densities, for water infiltration; and on the other, there is the model of “compact cities”, which calls for “smart growth” in already occupied areas with higher density. The proposed method of analysis compares the two models and initially started with the study on the hydrological cycle focusing on urban water cycle presented by UNESCO and water sensitive urban design program based on the Australian WSUD. Based on the results of the comparative analysis there has been identified the best practices for managing storm water using as reference the document from EPA/EUA which suggests that the development of higher density areas could better protect the regional water quality with lower consumption of land and proposes best practices for storm water management according to contexts and densities. In this sense, it is defended the importance of working the duality of the two models: the advantages of compact growth in urban design areas intraurbans to fill the less dense areas and the practices low- -impact urban development in green areas and environmentally sensitive areas.