Joana Magalhães Francisco

An appropriate design of urban equipment (U.E.), with features of inclusivity and identity (where included) can help solve day-to-day problems and difficulties as the clutter of space, urban barriers increase, ageing population and excessive standardization of urban equipment (loss of identity). In this article, the goal is to understand how the concepts of inclusiveness and identity could be applied to U.E. design project to make the city more inclusive. In this context there were three types of analysis: case study; practical analysis; rest U.E. search (existing and concept design). From the intersection of the results of these three analyses define a tool that allows the construction of design criteria, based on the goal of the U.E. to develop should be a potential mediator, including cultural identity, sustainable and standardized, while responding to a society in constant transformation.

The urban space configuration is crucial to the quality of life of its inhabitants. In this context, is considered as an intervention area of great importance and relevance to Design. The article is part of a PhD research on the study of urban equipment. This questions the development of urban equipment solutions with inclusiveness and standardization components in a perspective of sustainable development. The equipment must also reflect and strengthen the identity of the city where it is applied.
This paper is divided into three parts. In the first one there were investigated various methods of urban equipment analysis and draft methodological proposals set out by authors like Bernhard E. Bürdek and Bruno Munari. This was placed on a chart which identifies peculiarities of the main projective methods applied in design. The aim was to present concepts and a possible assessment procedure and project methodology to apply in urban equipment design with a focus on inclusiveness.
The second part suggests a project methodology to be used in this research, with practical results. orking strategically with epistemological tools and critical thinking around sustainable development, for the improvement of new products in urban equipment. In the third part the results indicate that the development of a project methodology and evaluation of urban equipment will have to take into account the notion of inclusivity as the primary context for the planning of a sustainable city. These include economic, environmental and social issue, a methodological design process of inclusive equipment. On the other hand, the results lead us to realize that the production of urban equipment should express cultural contexts.
The paper aims to contribute to improve the current process of designing urban equipment. The goal is to show possible solutions for a sustainable, inclusive, standard and identity urban equipment that will differentiate itself and enhance the public space, setting quality standards in the cities.
KEYWORDS: Sustainability, City, Inclusiveness, urban equipment design, identity