What is Plot Subdivision Patterns

The spatial complexity of metropolitan territories is the result of the accumulation of various forms of urban and infrastructural development, some of which can be characterized as being based on a fragmentary mode of production. The chapter aims at building an empirical approach to a broader discussion regarding spatial fragmentation as part of metropolitan territorial development using an example on an important suburban territory in the Lisbon metropolitan area (Portugal). As such, it will provide a conceptual review of contemporary urban and morphological approaches to metropolization and the issue of urban-rural relationships, an overview of Lisbon's metropolitan development and the specific changes identified in the case study, the overview and results of morphological analysis regarding land subdivision processes, and a discussion on a design-oriented description of territorial components with potential to reinforce the spatial synergies of urban fabrics, infrastructures, and open space.