The research explores the ways in which individuals within a diverse urban society perceive and interact with the regenerated urban canal-scape examining the process and dynamics by which individuals construct personal meanings relating to the canal landscape with emphasis on the central canal area (Brindleyplace) of Birmingham, UK. Specific phenomenological and performative methodologies are developed to elicit qualitative, self-reflexive landscape responses focussing on the use of walking in the landscape, combined with narrative-representational approaches, both vision and language-based. Data are collected using a series of in-situ and ex-situ studies including: collaborative ‘Walking-and-Talking’ exercises; semi-structured interviews, or ‘Conversations’; self-reflexive exercises such as diaries and a remote postcard study and participant-observation exercises based on group activities in the canal-scape. Findings suggest that individuals’ landscape perceptions are constructed through experiences and memories of other landscapes, both physically known and those only imagined. Participants display congruencies and divergences regarding notions of iconic landscape components and perceptual themes which may be contrary to the established norms of canal-scape meaning. The study stresses the use and importance of individual narratives as indicators of how participants think about and use the landscape as part of their life activities, how they perceive it, how they project themselves onto it, construct meanings around it. Results indicate that the locomotive-narrative methodologies developed in response to the research parameters are highly conducive to the evocation and expression of multi-modal landscape perceptions, including references to memories and associations.

Le projet urbain, par la démarche souple et transversale qu’il produit, est emblématique des concepts urbanistiques contemporains. Cette approche peut-elle opérer une reconnexion entre villes, ports et fleuves? A contrario, pourrait-elle renforcer cette déconnexion en cours, dans un contexte où les logiques de marché urbain sont plus favorables aux sphères d’économie résidentielle qu’à la sphère productive? Cette question se pose d’autant plus que ces espaces sont à l’intersection d’enjeux majeurs: la densification urbaine dans un contexte de lutte contre l’étalement urbain; le redéploiement du fret fluvial, alternative durable au réseau routier; et l’amélioration de la gestion de l’eau. En se basant sur les cas de Lille et Bruxelles, ce travail de recherche se fonde sur les facettes matérielle, organisationnelle et existentielle de ces territoires, abordées à différents échelons géographiques. Cette analyse montre que, dans son processus, le projet initie un nouveau dialogue ville-port, par de nouvelles formes de coopération horizontale. Par contre, dans sa matérialisation, il reproduit les coupures fonctionnalistes de l’ère industrielle, causées par les conditions externes et internes à son cadre de conception. Se distinguant de l’environnement conflictuel des sphères de conception et de décision, les pratiques révèlent le rôle de régulation de ces interfaces entre ville et port : des espaces de «quiétude», dans des environnements denses et enclavés. Finalement, les conditions d’une reconnexion sont proposées : l’évolution des formes de gouvernance ville-port, les nouvelles formes d’aménagement, et les processus de projet, comme rouage central au cœur de ces mutations. / The urban development project, thanks to its flexible and cross-sectional approach, is emblematic for contemporary urban concepts. Can this approach prompt a re-connection between cities, inland ports and waterways? On the other hand, could it strengthen this current de-connection, in an economic environment where urban market logic is more favorable to residential economy than to productive economy? This question is particularly important since these spaces are at the intersection of major issues: urban densification in a context of fight against urban sprawl; inland waterway freight transport redeployment, sustainable alternative to road transport; and the improvement of water management. Starting from the cases of Brussels and Lille, this research work is based on material, organizational and existential aspects of these territories, tackled at different geographical levels. This analysis shows that, throughout its process, an urban development project can initiate a new city-port dialogue by means of new forms of horizontal cooperation. In the contrary, in its materialization, it reproduces the functional cuts of the industrial era, caused by constraints and influences of its design framework. Distinguishing themselves from the conflicting environment of design and decision circles, daily practice reveals the role of regulation of these city port interfaces: quiet spaces in dense and landlocked environments. Finally, conditions for a re-connection are put forward: an evolution of city-port governance forms, new forms or urban developments and development processes, as pivotal issue of these transformations.