Abstract:

Linear public works (roads, railways, canals) extend over the territory. Their study requires an understanding of their relationship with the place, with the physical environment (topography, geology, hydraulics), the environment (climate, flora, fauna) as well as the set of social and cultural relationships and meanings which define them as landscape. These public works must always be understood in their integrity.

In order to educate with this overall objective, we propose an educational method based on drawing collaborative cartographies. We present the experience of two representative cases: the Canal de Isabel II, the historic water supply to the city of Madrid, and the circular cycling ring around Madrid. Both are linear works with a similar extension of around 60 km. For their representation, each of the works is divided into 30 sections, nearly 2 km long. Each student analyses and represents one of the 30 sections on a map. The legends and elements of the study are shared: alignment, bridge, tunnel, road, sign, fence, viewpoint, landmark, heritage element, etc. Each student represents their study section in plan, elevation, and sections. The scales, formats, and graphic codes are maintained so that the individual analysis is consistent with a collective representation.

With the set of individual maps, collaborative global cartography is formed. Built with KMZ Google Earth files, it allows to explore and navigate through the whole linear public work. The experience makes it possible to study a specific section and understand its attachment to the site and its local particularities. And, in turn, to build the global representation from individual works. The final collaborative cartography is geo-referenced in browsers such as Google Earth and Google Maps, which makes it easy and accessible to use and allows the activation of layers, location of images, sections, or other related information.

The result is very useful both for the exploration of the linear public works and their layout in the territory and as a base reference for subsequent applications and development work. The landscape of linear public works must be understood as a whole, linked to the place where it's built. Its value, sense, and meaning are the result of a collaborative perspective.

Keywords:

Civil engineering, active learning, cultural heritage, maps, georeferenced files, KMZ Google Earth, KMZ Google Maps.