commonly accepted as profoundly urban and profoundly rural spaces, and ‘liminal spaces’ all thresholds and transitory spaces rising from the clash and overlap of urban and rural. From a practical perspective, theoretical findings are applied on Portugal and Albania, as two main case studies, being materialized on (1) a set of criteria that condition and define the ‘urban-rural continuum’, and (2) a series of spatial typologies describing the spatiality of the ‘urban-rural continuum’ as a complex territorial form. 1.3 Research Methodology Explained This section makes a description of the general methodological aspects of the research work. In the meantime, Chapter 5 is dedicated to a detailed explanation of the logical frame of the research work, as well as the process behind the delineation of the case studies, after having completed the theoretical discussion, which takes place on Chapters 2, 3 and 4. Given the main objective of the research and the very complex and broad nature of the chosen topic, there are three different approaches which can be applied: -
The first one is the ‘Applicative Approach’, which is based on a comparative study practice, concluding with sets of recommendations built around very specific case studies;
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The second one is the ‘Theoretical Approach’, which develops on theoretical grounds only, either by exhausting one single theory or by combining a set of theories;
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The third approach, also applied on this dissertation, is the ‘Comprehensive Approach’, which is a combination of the first two alternatives. It builds on a strong theoretical background in order to develop further new contemporary insights over the topic, positioning and defining new contributions within the academic repertoire, and then after it is followed by critical examinations on a series of specific case studies and samples, by applying theoretical findings and on the basis of that, building a series of interpretations. The research work concludes with a series of conclusions and recommendations on both grounds, theory and practice. 35
