On Thursday, July 14, starting at 11.00 a.m., the doctoral thesis defense of the PhD candidate Raúl Alfredo Granados Aragonez will take place in the Sala de Graus of La Salle Campus Barcelona. The thesis, entitled 'Implementation of green infrastructure for the regeneration of fragmented urban fabrics through geographic information systems. The case of Ciudad Juárez, in Chihuahua, Mexico', has been carried out under the direction of Dr Anna Martínez Duran. The doctoral student is part of the HER research group.
This research addresses the urban problems associated with urban fabric fragmentation, hydrological vulnerability, and the loss of spatial connectivity in Mexican border cities, focusing the study on Ciudad Juárez (Chihuahua, Mexico). These issues have intensified as a result of historical processes of accelerated growth, leading to the speculation of vacant lots within the urban grid and the planning of gated communities, alongside an almost non-existent stormwater drainage network. This has generated dispersed urban fabrics, low quality of public space, and high exposure to flash floods caused by short-duration extreme precipitation events in the region. This research argues that such problems cannot be understood or resolved through isolated approaches but require a holistic approximation that articulates urban form, mobility, and environmental performance.
By analyzing the city’s historical evolution, its physical environment, and its binational condition with the United States, significant changes in the spatial structure of the urban grid are identified. The results highlight the existence of centralized structures hidden behind a dispersed and fragmented city, closely related to historical morphology and the location of industrial areas. Based on these analyses, a multiscale methodology is proposed, aimed at the development of degraded urban areas with high potential for rehabilitation and reintegration through green infrastructure.
The research proposes the strategic implementation of a green infrastructure system conceived as a structuring element of the city, functioning as an ecological corridor that simultaneously promotes active mobility and serves as a hydrological mitigation tool. At the city scale, Space Syntax theories are used to identify patterns of urban connectivity and accessibility. At the local scale, these studies are combined with Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) models and fuzzy logic, using different factors such as land use, connectivity, and flood mitigation capacity, with the purpose of identifying which public spaces and roadways should be prioritized for the implementation of sustainable urban drainage systems.
Finally, at the micro scale, nature-based solutions are selected through high-resolution modeling of a rainfall event with a 25-year return period. The hydrological analysis assesses the spatio-temporal evolution of runoff and infiltration and measures the impact of green infrastructure on reducing flood risk. In this way, the most suitable green infrastructure is strategically selected to strengthen urban resilience and spatial connectivity in already consolidated urban environments.
This multiscale approach allows for the articulation of morphological, socio-spatial, and hydrological analyses within an integrated methodological framework, capable of linking urban structure with the territorial environmental performance. The thesis demonstrates that green infrastructure, when projected starting from the city’s spatial logic and validated through hydrodynamic models, can operate not only as an environmental strategy but also as a tool for urban regeneration and territorial reconnection. The proposed methodology is transferable to other urban contexts and constitutes a tool for resilient planning in semi-arid cities.
The court is made up of the president, Dr David Fonseca Escudero; the secretary, Dr Pilar García Almirall; and the member, Dr Oscar Chávez Acosta.