IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

Due to the decline of heavy industry, the development of the information society and the emergence of the creative economy theory, cities underwent a functional transformation. As an example, several brownfield developments have been launched. In Lisbon, a similar trend can be observed in the 2010s: the abandoned boat and textile factories and other industrial areas have been converted into hubs of creativity used by actors of creative industries. Around this time, Lisbon began to be referred to as the “new Barcelona” or the “new Berlin.” The Portuguese capital has become a popular destination for travelers, partly due to the creative atmosphere that prevails among its historic buildings. After the 2008 global financial crisis, the city’s creative industries started to flourish, one example is the street art activities coordinated by the GAU, a division of the city hall. The city’s leadership underwent a shift in perspective, focusing on improving public spaces, the urban landscape, and city image, as well as on education and community building through art. City administration and leaders have discovered the importance of the knowledge society, innovation, and artistic cooperation as a comprehensive aspect of the creative economy and industries, which can contribute to a beneficial effect on the economy, competitiveness and development of the city. The roots of the open, inclusive, innovative, and constructive local governance can be traced back to cultural and historical traditions and the position of the city in the Lusophone world. New qualities were created regarding the city’s image, the use of its symbolic spaces, and the development of place attachment and place identity. These characteristics can represent a local advantage in a global context (Porter, 2000; Florida, 2002, 2005, etc.). The presentation aims to observe Lisbon from this complex and interdisciplinary approach.