SCENARIO FOR THE AL-EX PROJECT

When describing a scenario, everything starts with the basics, the definition of where you are going to develop it.

It is very easy to find an exact and politically appropriate definition for each site that we consider, but in our case, we do not seek a definition that satisfies everyone who reads this page or it is attracted by our proposal. We seek a more personal definition, more personal than a merely geographical or a travel magazine of El Corte Inglés definition. What we are looking for is to define the essence of a place which can only be achieved after the experiences lived in it.

Our team was therefore looking for this definition that would allow us to carry out our purpose “developing a scenario”. We went on a three-day trip to the region that would held our proposal: Alentejo.

All I will say in a brief politically correct description is that Alentejo is a region of Portugal, occupying an area equivalent to 1 / 3 of the total land area and it exports the biggest amount of cork in the world.

This definition can be said as simple, we can find a fairly similar one in wikipedia, we have managed to collect enough evidences and experiences to create our own definition of Alentejo, which is expressed in the video that we posted on this page. I do not need to repeat this description, just remember the key points that were the most relevant from this trip: the weather, the characteristic light, large area of green fields, the friendly people, the colors and smells. But we also noticed how abandoned it was by the government of the country.

On the other hand we have the other region on which we would act in our project: Extremadura.

In our team we are fortunate to have members who know these areas because either they live in them or closed to them.

Despite not having visited the region of Extremadura, in Spain, due to lack of time, we can also leave out formalities at the time of its description and be guided by the personal opinion of the members of our team who know this area.

Extremadura can also be defined by the weather and the light, a golden-orange light, its peculiar inhabitants and for its smells, color and history.

After these definitions it is easy to see that what we are looking for with our proposals is not to please all who discover this page, but give rise to new and original ideas which could solve the economic situation in these areas forgotten by their respective governments.

We have decided to call our area of operation, AL-EX (Alentejo - Extremadura).

KEY POINTS OF THE AL-EX REGION.

This section of my proposal is where I want to emphasize those aspects that interest me the most and that are common to both regions.

After our visit to Alentejo and the knowledge I have of Extremadura, in my opinion, the most important aspects on which I want to act are those that make them unique.

First, both regions are the regions that produce more renewable energy, solar and hydropower particularly, in the Iberian Peninsula.In both, agriculture is one of the most exploited sectors together with the cork industry.And finally, both areas have a rich and varied history.

My proposal is based on the reuse and rehabilitation rather than construction of new infrastructures.

MY PROPOSAL.

The scenario I propose is based on the reuse of abandoned railroad tracks that we saw during our trip to Alentejo, which we are aware that exist in this area and I have researched and known in Extremadura.

We could say that this action would fall within the so-called "Greenways", but my intentions are somehow away from the concept.

My proposal starts with the rehabilitation of abandoned train stations along these routes. This rehabilitation would consist on the reuse of these buildings as laboratories and R+D centers specialized according to the areas where they were placed. Such action would be a great investment, whether public or private bodies collaborate on it, and would avoid the

construction of new infrastructure and parasite architecture in the landscape, but reuse the vernacular architecture of the area. It is also important to refer the issue of space, it would not be a problem due to the large amount of square meters of these facilities.

Part of my proposal continues with the rehabilitation and reuse of the before mentioned "Greenways". The proposal would be to design a vehicle, more like a train locomotive, which would act as a mobile laboratory that would connect the various R+D centers and laboratories.

In Extremadura:

POSSIBLE R+D CENTERS

- Hervás: chestnut wood industry. - Plasencia:

a) School of ecologic agriculture. b) Main exporter of cherries c) Producers of the 50% of Spanish tobacco

- Monfragüe ( La Bazagona): natural reserve ( Mediterranean forest) - Cáceres: Zona esteparía ( ZEPA) - Valencia de Alcántara: main cork producer in Spain ( 50 factories) - Mérida: arqueology ( Roman Art) - La Serena’s dam ( the biggest in Spain)

In Alentejo:

- La Alqueva’s dam ( the biggest in Europe) - R+D centers:

a) Cork b) Olive c) Wine d) Solar energy e) Natural reserves

As one of my colleagues proposed, this project would attract scientists, doctors, teachers, people outside these fields but interested in them and students.

WHO IS GOING TO BRING THIS PROJECT TO THE REGION?

In the case that the management of these centers could not continue, reusing them in another activity would be simple.

WHAT IF AFTER A CERTAIN TIME IS A TOO HIGH COST TO BE FACED BY REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS?

On the one hand, the stations could become youth hostels and rural houses. On the other hand, these vehicles I've talked about could be reused for any other activity. I have the knowledge that investment in railway tracks maintenance is high so if we would have to stop using them it would not be a problem for the reuse of these mobile labs as their wheels could be changed by some that could be suitable for roads.

They could also become bird observatories as another example.

It is easy to see the relationship between my proposal and the overall project we are developing. While at our last meeting in class we talked about a range of research and development, my proposal would become part of that range. My proposal seeks to define these two regions from the thorough investigation of various aspects and features of each field that can define them as unique.

HOW IS MY PROPOSAL INTEGRATED WITHIN THE AL-EX?

EXAMPLES OF ABANDONED TRAIN STATIONS AND RAILROAD TRACKS.