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The activity of thermalism in Portugal is millenary. Thermalism is an activity that uses natural mineral water in treatments for therapeutic benefit under medical supervision, in a Medical Spa. The exploitation of the natural mineral water, available in the Medical Spa, is the responsibility of a Technical Director, professional with know-how in the field of hydrogeology, who provides natural mineral water from the aquifer system, at the abstraction head, in order be stored, distributed, and used in the various consumption points. Thalassotherapy, the use of salt water from seas or saltwater lakes, is already used in Portugal, either traditionally in loco or in some spas and other units, with activities or practices similar to those of thermalism. In some cases, it is already guided by a medical hydrologist, however, this activity is not yet legally framed in the same situation as thermalism. In the present work it is proposed that thalassotherapy can and should be supplied by salt water captured from an aquifer system, in full saline wedge, in order to be integrated with the proper rules of exploitation of the hydrogeological domain. Only in this way, the natural saltwater resource will have the potential to be obtained with adequate stability in its quality and thus, be able to fit into the legislative program similar to that of natural mineral waters. In this context, this paper presents some elements of an academic case study, carried out in Cabo Espichel (Sesimbra), where, it is proposed a project of a mixed spa, with a component of classic thermalism, to be supplied by water natural mineral to be captured and legalized, and with a thalassotherapy component, based on a capture of natural salt water to be captured in a free aquifer on a beach area. Finally, some detailed elements of a groundwater abstraction, with natural saltwater, idealized in a way that does not affect the environment, that is, without any negative environmental impact, are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The milling activity in Portugal at one time in its history was fundamental to the progress of the population. Mills of various types were used, including hydraulic mills, associated with water courses, constituting a real flour industry, because several products were made from them, including wheat, rye, corn, and other cereal bread. Society evolved, technology changed, and these mills were abandoned and are now vernacular constructions, in many cases in complete ruin. The mills of the hydraulic type, are located on the banks of water courses, often framed in a natural environment and landscape of high quality, favorable to ecological tourism, rural tourism and other similar low impact. It is in this context, that we understand that this vernacular heritage should not be lost, and therefore, the present case study is presented, with a proposal for the rehabilitation of a set of 14 mills on the Torto river in Sanfins, municipality of Valpaços in northern Portugal, for an eco-park of rural tourism and nature. Thus, this paper, after a geographic framing and the presentation of local natural features, presents a brief summary of the mills heritage and its importance, to then present some conceptual aspects that led to this proposal. In the proposal a park is planned with various equipment in a main nucleus, which in itself enhances the site in tourist and economic terms, with the network of mills to be rehabilitated for small rural tourism residences, including also a museum-mill, a playground and a parking area a picnic park, among others facilities. Finally, some final notes are presented, highlighting that this proposal is a solution, resulting from academic work, whose fundamental objective is to present the problem that is important from a scientific and historical point of view, but also intends to attract an investor, either state or private, so that when this project is carried out, not only is a tribute to a people, an era and a culture, but also an input to the local and regional economy, that contributes to the pride and the empowerment of local populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interpreting the 3D model for the 2D drawing is a difficult task for majority of the mechanical and civil Engineering studying the premier courses. Few of the students do it naturally and most of the students need to be trained to have the skilled feature. The paper is mainly focused on the Methodologies applied in teaching to facilitate the accession of a multidimensional object which is a 3-D dimensional object by which a maturity related skill is focused. The methodologies have been developed keeping in view of targeting the first years at a university in Portugal. Students after having the primary contact with 2D project representation whereby the manual drawing is focused first and then the students progressively elaborate the CAD in the starting with 2D interpretation and then finally coming to a conclusion with the 3D projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

São Pedro do Sul medical spa facilities are supplied by natural hot mineral water, from several groundwater abstractions, one of which is a natural hot spring with a temperature around 68.6°C, maintaining a constant flow of about 10 L/s, as registered in the last decades, although it can be likely that, according to the available data, this flow and temperature has presented itself steady for past millenniums. Well, a natural resource, with these characteristics, was certainly a motive of search and likely even disputes most probably since the time of the last glaciation, more than 10,000 years ago, in which the entire region where São Pedro do Sul is currently located, it would have been essentially covered by snow. This situation, since the most ancient times, has had an almost constant occupation leading to various constructions that suffered metamorphoses over time, with perfect evidence found at the time of the Romans, around 2000 years ago, later during the reign of the first king of Portugal (King Afonso Henriques) around 1169 A.D, ending at the time period of the last Portuguese Queen (Queen D. Amélia), around 120 years ago. Currently, the São Pedro do Sul medical spa has two bathing facilities operating simultaneously: the Thermal Center (known today as D. Afonso Henriques Bathhouse), and Rainha D. Amélia Bathhouse. It has been the Medical Spa of Portugal that has had the most revenues for several decades, having already exceeded in some years the 5.000.000 € /year, essentially from the classical health thermalism, although in the concession it is also officially stated the use of wellness thermalism, the sale of cosmetic products and the sale of energy from the heat produced by the resource. Thus, due to the importance of this resource, it is fundamental to have research on the various areas of knowledge associated with it. In the present paper, after a brief presentation of factual elements about the place, characteristics of the resource, and economic elements, an explanation is made about the place and equipment for the exploitation of the resource, presenting elements about the human occupation around it, throughout the time, showing finally, the actual panorama of the organization of the thermal space, between the Bathhouses and other types of equipment, as hotels, gardens, leisure spaces, and others, of the area of the São Pedro do Sul medical Spa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable mobility has become a central topic for reflection and debate when defining active urban policies. In opposition to traditional mobility focused on private cars, sustainable urban mobility aims to respond to society's travel needs of comfort, safety, and time with healthy, environmental-friendly, and economical solutions. Soft mobility modes, especially cycling, are an alternative capable of reversing the trend on private car use in urban areas. Cycling has been playing an important role in urban sustainable development in the last decade, being one of the main strategies of urban mobility plans. The present study presents a review of the main European Union (EU) and Portuguese cycling strategies. The methodological approach includes the collection and analysis of the main EU and Portuguese documents discussing the challenges and options for urban mobility, especially those focused on cycling. These strategies aim to promote the use of bicycles on commuting trips and the reduction of greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions, thus contributing to a more sustainable urban environment and healthier communities, the main objectives of the EU's cycling strategies. Conclusions point out that it was mainly in the last 10 years that specific plans for the promotion of the use of bicycles and other soft modes emerged in Portugal, but only in the last 5 years, financing conditions were created to support municipalities in this task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 90s, the experience with the Municipal Master Plans, has been showing ambiguities in the enforcement of criteria regarding the delimitation of urban perimeters. This figure of spatial planning was expected to be an instrument for the consolidation of urban areas, ensuring their urban continuity. However, this goal was not always achieved. One of the problems is the oversizing of urban perimeters, having as a result the spread of new urban developments, the creation of urban voids or the underuse of facilities and infrastructures. In low-density regions, with a population loss, these problems are even more serious, given the weak demand of buildings and urbanizations. In this sense, this study is part of an on going research, and it will be focused on the study of oversizing urban perimeters in seven low-density regions in the Interior of Portugal. All of them having in common a land-use map coming from their Municipal Master Plans which are proposing the oversizing of urban perimeters compared to demographic or urban developing dynamics. The result of over nearly three decades of these spatial planning instruments are fragmented urban areas with low levels of urbanization and building execution. Even though they have all followed particular methodologies in order to identify the proper limits of urban perimeters, in all of them this process has occurred without the verification of the existing infrastructures. The conclusions have shown that in some cases the urban voids with no demand, correspond to 1/3 of the urban perimeters as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Algarve, the southern district of Portugal, is a well-known touristic destination, since the 70s of the XX century. Besides, this emerging economic activity for the last 5 decades, the ancient economical bases were founded upon agriculture and fishery primary sector. Although agriculture is still an important motor of the region economy, the main producers are located on the fertile terraces and the traditional subsistence agriculture was practically abandoned, as well as the drystone walls used to level the slopes and create small terraces. These were used for agriculture, forestry and goat breeding purposes, but also for soil erosion control, as well as to retain and channel the rainwaters into natural or constructed reservoirs, since this is a semi-arid region and there's a shortage of water. With the rural exodus on the 70s and the replacement of the subsistence agriculture for farming production, drystone walls face abandon, only still standing due to its resilience. However, the lack of maintenance led to vegetation invasion, and consequently to wall tumbling, compromising their function and the human access to deepest forestry areas. The quantity of drystone walls in Algarve is immense and not only they make part of the constructed heritage, but they also stand up for climate change mitigation and forest fire prevention, thus an important patrimony that must be preserved. The research hereby presented aims, not only to highlight the importance of its maintenance and rehabilitation for the Algarve territory, impacting on cultural, socio-economical, environmental and sustainability indicators, but also to demonstrate the risks associated to the neglection of these structural elements and future implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]