IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

The civic forum, historically a site of public dialogue and collective action, faces unprecedented challenges in the 21st century, from rapid urbanization to digital transformation and political disaffection. This paper investigates what it means for a city to still function as a civic ‘forum’ in today’s globalized and digitally-mediated world, and what spaces or programs can adequately support this role. Grounded in workshops conducted across different cities such as Lisbon, New York and Manila, and drawing on precedents from Shannon Mattern, Adam Greenfield, Saskia Sassen, and Benjamin Bratton, a critical inquiry frames the evolving nature of civic spaces. Shannon Mattern’s City is Not a Computer critiques the reduction of cities to algorithmic logics, emphasizing the importance of the physical and cultural infrastructures that sustain urban life. Similarly, Adam Greenfield’s Against the Smart City rejects techno-utopianism, urging a focus on people-centered design rather than top-down, data-driven urban interventions. Saskia Sassen’s work critiques the dehumanizing effects of global cities, calling instead for civic movements that reclaim urban spaces for collective action. Informed by these critiques, this paper proposes Lisbon’s public spaces as sites to experiment with civic programs that foster public engagement, resisting the normalizing pull of commercial and technocratic forces. Building on Benjamin Bratton’s post-pandemic reflections in The Revenge of the Real, this paper and presentation discusses ways to integrate physical and virtual platforms in urban spaces that address complexities of socio-cultural development and governance. By prioritizing inclusivity, adaptability, and resilience, these spaces aim to support urbanity as a scaffold for dynamic interplay between people and place, fostering cities that remain livable and participatory amidst global and local pressures.