The development of a project that focus in a water front can lead to a multitude of solutions, but should always be preceded by a process of reflection in order to assimilate, social, cultural, economic and physical components. The main focus is to improve both citizen's quality of life, as well as the good urban form of the city.

It is essential to understand that the city of Oporto would not exist without first being a port. For long centuries the city and its port grew as economy and trade developed. But it was the Industrial Revolution which first occupied much of the city's waterfront, increasing population density in a way never seen before, although it left an empty space, almost abandoned and socially devastated, between the city and the water, after switching to the city's periphery.

By the study of the special case of Miragaia, it was possible to identify many of the pathologies that have contributed to the decline of the site. Its urban area of medieval characteristics is made of buildings in poor conditions and faces serious problems of desertification and insecurity.

This project aims a renewal that will contribute to the community's needs and expectations and that may arise as the city itself promoter contributing to its preservation.

The project retrieves the pier as a civic space, creating a commercial space and new informal spaces for performances, markets, events and special occasions, by removing automobile traffic and creating a safe public domain.

We shall assume connections as the most important elements in the whole project, defining it and contributing to its proper functioning. Connections as the ramal and the promenade near the river will be of high importance, attracting users to the site, while the connection of the Miragaia tunnel works in the opposite direction in order to continue the route of users through Miragaia, rediscovering a part of the forgotten city.

It is intended that this promenade is a crowded place. Filled with terrace cafes, coffee shops and bars. While people walk, others run, others do shop and others zigzag their bikes between them.

The space at the top will be much quieter, where people will have the opportunity to appreciate what surrounds them, sit up and think in architecture and life, while the beautiful scenery and the river brings calm, leaving people far from the troubled city even if it is just around the corner.

This is the essence of the project and its architecture. Now it's up to users to enjoy and contribute to its good functioning, when walking in that space.

According to this, it can be stated that the public space is a key element in the communication and interaction between the habitants, the heavy users and occasional users, contributing to the city to be a body full of vitality, constantly changing and developing.