Geographical Information Systems (GISs) in architecture were initially limited to regional and urban development applications. Over recent years its potential has been recognized and its use has evolved to address urban planning and architectural heritage management subjects. Nevertheless, evidence shows that its use in architecture teaching is scarce and uneven. Directive 2007/2/EC, establishing the infrastructure for spatial information in the European Community (EU), is, in this way, an opportunity to develop a greater knowledge and application of GIS in the framework of higher education. In architecture, this can be achieved by problem solving based on real case scenarios, which can benefit from GIS-based techniques and analysis capabilities. In this paper, the authors aim to present a review of the use of GIS in teaching and research in architecture to assess its level in different European programmes. Experiences from three European universities (University of Seville, Spain, University of Beira Interior, Portugal, and Technical University of Crete, Greece), which are among the few in their respective countries that promote the inclusion of GIS in architectural education, particularly in the fields of urban and regional planning and architectural heritage, are compared and framed within the European scenario. The paper concludes with a reflection on the three universities’ practice compared to the leading European architecture programmes listed in the main international university rankings. Main trends of future evolution on the use of GIS in architecture teaching are also presented.

The shift to low-emission mobility, embedded in a growing need for sustainable development, makes soft modes a highly promoted transport alternative in national and international mobility policies. Soft mobility modes, especially cycling, is an alternative capable of reversing the trend of private car use in urban areas, being one of the main strategies of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP). Several factors can influence travel mode choice, between them, demographic, economic, land use, travel distance and time, and climatic and physical factors are the most reported in the literature. This study presents a framework of the main European cycling strategies and focuses on the development of a methodological approach to assess the cycling suitability of existing road networks. The approach is based on a spatial multi-criteria analysis that combines population density, trip generation points service areas and road characteristics (hierarchy and slope). Consideration of the topography was particularly relevant in the cycling suitability model definition. The model was tested in the hillside city of Covilhã (Portugal) and compared with the recently planned and implemented city cycling network. The main conclusions point to the adequacy, flexibility, and applicability of the proposed model by municipalities, contributing to a more sustainable urban environment and healthier communities. Results obtained in the Covilhã case study also denote the possibility of implementing cycling mobility in hillside cities, especially using e-bikes. For future works, an expansion of the approach is proposed to include a detailed and sustained cycling network definition model and a process to assess cycling routes hierarchy/solutions.

The features of pedestrian spaces contribute to sustainable urban mobility and consequently to improve the quality of the built environment. A pedestrian space free of obstacles, with slight slopes, continuous, agreeable, attractive and safe, is definitely a space that invites to enjoyment and socialization. With the aim of improving the pedestrian circulation conditions, the present paper describes a set of approaches for assessing the quality of pedestrian environment and presents an adapted approach that can be used in medium-sized cities. Land use, pedestrian facilities and road/traffic attributes are the most common topics addressed in the pedestrian environment evaluation. These attributes can be expressed in scores and their spatial distribution can be represented using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), supporting the decision making process of pedestrian system improvement. For Portuguese medium-sized cities, the Pedestrian Environmental Quality Index (PEQI) was adapted and tested through a case study in Covilhã city. The main steps of the methodology include the definition of relevant data, preparation of survey forms, training of data collection teams, data collection, database organization, PEQI calculation and GIS data visualization, management and maps production. The case study focused on the areas that have a significant pedestrian flow, either because of commercial, services and recreation activities, or because they are important links of the public transport system. As main findings, it was possible to conclude that the selected approach allows a great flexibility in the incorporation of new attributes and weights according to specific technical goals and scenarios (calibration).

This paper aims to present the state-of-the-art in terms of performance indicators for quality evaluation of public transport services in urban...

3D interpretation of 2D drawing is not easy for most of the Civil Engineering first-year students. Some do it naturally but most need to be trained to master this skill. In this paper, the implemented teaching methodologies aiming to facilitate the acquisition of three-dimensional project visualization skills are presented. These methodologies were developed during the last two years targeting first-year Civil Engineering students at the University of Beira Interior (Portugal). After a first contact with 2D project representation through manual drawing, students progressively elaborate computer-aided design (CAD) project starting with simple 2D drawings and culminating with a 3D project of a pre-existing building. Students are also motivated to improve their 3D graphic representation skills through a classroom contest where the winning project is printed in 3D. The training in 2D and 3D graphic representation is complemented during the second year with several in situ surveys and computer-aided drawing of topographic data. This approach proved to be very interesting for competence acquisition, qualifying students for a better 3D representation and interpretation. Students also found this methodology to be motivating.