Urban Engineering: Concepts and Challenges

3. Urban engineering
According to Martinard (1986), urban engineering can be described as "the art of conceiving,
undertaking, managing and coordinating the technical aspects of urban systems. The term
‘urban technical systems’ has two meanings: the first conveys the ‘physical’ dimension of an
infrastructural ‘support’ network, while the second can be construed as a supporting
‘services’ network". For example, while the water supply system of any city possesses a
‘physical’ dimension insofar as the actual physical distribution of water is concerned (pipes,
water capture machinery, treatment equipment etc), it is vital to take into consideration, in
addition, the number and quality of the services required to operate and maintain the
networks and their various equipments, to ensure appropriate billing, charging and cost
recovery mechanisms for the payment of services rendered and the need for water quality
control and supervision of the multifarious aspects of systems management.
It could be argued that the responsibility for the purely technical aspects of water supply
falls to civil engineers specializing in hydraulic and sanitation engineering - a speciality
widely recognized as one of the most traditional branches of engineering. However,
although this particular class of engineer is certainly qualified to deal with and resolve
problems in his chosen area of expertise (hydraulics and sanitation) it is difficult to attribute
to him the title of ‘urban engineer’.
A further example is that of the civil engineer specializing in transport engineering. This
branch of engineering involves dealing with land, maritime, river and air transport, as well

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Methods and Techniques in Urban Engineering
4
despite opposition from local administrators schooled not in engineering but in the law such
as João Theodoro, Antonio Prado and others.
This group of urban engineers was educated at the 
Escola Politécnica
(where a number of
them also taught). They tended to align themselves with Victor Freire and his assistant -
Eng. João Florence Ulhôa - who in 1924 conceived the idea of the "radial roads perimeter”
and who in 1930 published, together with Eng. Francisco Prestes Maia, the first major street
plan (the 
Plano de Avenidas
) for the city of São Paulo. Eng. Prestes Maia, professor at the
Escola Politécnica
, and Mayor of São Paulo on two occasions (27 April 1938 - 27 October
1945 and 10 April 1961-7 April 1965), was considered by Toledo (1996) to be a major
proponent of town planning strategy and doctrine, with a reputation as a tough
administrator.
It is also worth mentioning the important roles played by Arthur Saboya and Francisco
Rodrigues Saturnino de Brito (the latter known primarily for his work as a public health
specialist) and Luis Ignácio Romeiro de Anhaia Mello, who belonged to the new generation
of engineers greatly influenced by the new approach to urbanism in the United States.
Anhaia Mello was the main force behind the creation of São Paulo´s Architecture and Town
Planning Faculty in 1948 - an independent academic facility which emerged from the
engineering and architecture course previously run by the 
Escola Politécnica
. Mello was the
first director of this faculty and was primarily responsible for perceiving the inter-related
aspects of "urbanism" and "architecture" (hence the name of the new faculty). (Ficher, 2005).
At the time the above engineers were working in São Paulo (the first half of the 20
th
century), the city underwent a major period of expansion which, in turn, justified the
increasing concern directed towards town planning matters. Table 1 contains population
data for 1872-1950.
São Paulo Municipality
Brazil
Year
Population
Annual
geometric
growth rate
Urbanization
rate (%)
Population
Annual
geometric
growth rate
1872
31,385
-
10,112,061
4.1
2.0
1890
64,934
-
14,333,915
14.0
1.9
1900
239,820
-
17,318,556
4.5
2.9
1920
579,033
-
30,635,605
4.2
1.5
1940
1,326,261
94.9
41,236,315
5.2
2.3
1950
2,198,096
93.4
51,944,397
Table 1. Population figures (IBGE, Demographic Census)
Urban Engineering: Concepts and Challenges
5
Souza (2006) notes that throughout this period large numbers of São Paulo Polytechnic
engineers occupied public positions in the various municipalities and public works/road
and street planning secretariats, with the majority of them closely involved in urban
engineering activities.
The aforementioned urban engineers tended to regard the city as a whole unit – an
approach which in their view called for integrated interventions of a technical and aesthetic
nature with regard both to buildings and traffic organization. They also paid strict attention
to the public sanitation aspects of the city in their plans for city streets and squares.
Furthermore, they took into account the administrative and management aspects of the city,
resulting in the establishment of a number of bodies employing specialist professional staff
concentrated specifically on town planning.
The above professionals were mainly ‘civil’ or ‘architectural’ engineers who on graduating
were attracted by the prospect of interesting, well-paid and prestigious jobs in this area of
expertise.
The term ‘urban engineering’ was employed by Francisco de Paula Dias de Andrade in his
thesis dated 1966
(
Chair (
Cátedra
) No. 12: Buildings construction; Notions of architecture;
Urban engineering and urbanism), submitted as part of the qualification process for a senior
professorship appointment at the 
Escola Politécnica
. Regardless of the fact that subsequent
documents written by Professor Andrade fail to cast more precise light on the prospects for
urban engineering in São Paulo, it is nevertheless evident that Andrade showed a keen
pioneering approach with his creation in 1970 of a graduate course in construction and
urban engineering at the 
Escola Politécnica
of University of São Paulo devoted specifically to
training engineers at Masters and Doctoral level in those fields of knowledge.