IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section B

Abstract

In rapidly urbanising contexts like Abu Dhabi, liveability emerges not only through state-led infrastructures or iconic masterplans, but also through ephemeral, user-generated micro-urbanisms. This presentation examines hybrid and informal inhabitation practices focusing on spatial conditions that are improvised, transient, and deeply entangled with cultural memory and identity. These spaces, ranging from makeshift extensions of villas to ad-hoc occupations in rural or industrial zones, reflect a vernacular language of accessibility, intimacy, and social necessity. Their emergence resonates with the region’s nomadic legacies and the complex, multicultural demographics shaping the city today. Drawing on interdisciplinary methods from architecture, urban studies, and digital humanities, this research maps the socio-spatial dynamics of these ephemeral interventions. Through observational walking, participant observation, and time-lapse photography, it captures informal inhabitation practices that evolve with seasonality and everyday use. The presentation argues that such hybrid inhabitation practices challenge dominant narratives of what constitutes a ‘livable’ city. They foreground an alternative form of resilience, one that is rooted in improvisation, social adaptability, and the quiet labour of change. By making visible the invisible architectures of everyday life, this work contributes to broader debates on liveability and inclusivity and challenges the dominant divide between urban, architecture, and interior. Looking at the broader Gulf region through the lens of the Abu Dhabi case study, it emphasises that livability must be understood not solely through formal design or top-down metrics, but also through the nuanced, bottom-up spatial practices of those who dwell, adapt, and shape space through informal and adaptive inhabitation.