The narrow streets of Bairro Alto condense a lot of history over its five centuries. More recently, they were the home of the press and, these days, they fill the evenings of many Lisbon residents and visitors. Over the course of five centuries, Bairro Alto has already undergone several renovations in terms of its public space, but the municipality is proposing to do one more. The new redevelopment project has already been approved at the Town Hall Meeting at the end of June, having been published here. The next step is a public discussion.
The project - which was drawn up in close collaboration with the Misericórdia Parish Council and local associations - aims to "ensure preservation" the historical and cultural legacy of Bairro Alto and "at the same time transporting Bairro Alto to a new dimension of public space use, with better conditions of accessibility and enjoyment". The intervention will cover 34 roads in an area of 25,000 square metersand is estimated to cost three million euros.
According to Lisbon City Hall, the idea behind the redevelopment is based on:
- Redefining and systematizing sidewalksIt is proposed to use a chiaroscuro design, returning to the traditional sidewalk area next to the building, while granite would be reused on the road. It is proposed to level out the sidewalk and carriageway areas, reducing the speed on all axes of circulation and creating widening lanes for the sidewalks;
- Inclusion of green structuresThis could include planting small trees and/or climbing plants, as the Parish Council has done near its buildings;
- Creation of new living spaces and parking reorganizationespecially on the wider roads;
- Introduction and reorganization of technical infrastructuresuch as drains or uniform boxes for the street lighting network;
- Valuing and publicizing heritage with the creation of routes that showcase the elements of heritage value in the intervention area.
The proposal to redevelop Bairro Alto and make it available for public consultation was approved by a majority of 15 votes in favor (six from the PS, two from the Independents, four from the CDS, two from the PSD and one from the BE) and two abstentions from the PCP, at the Extraordinary Town Hall Meeting held on July 23, 2021. The intervention will not go ahead this term, not least because it is pending a public discussion process, sharing the preliminary draft and holding presentation and clarification sessions.
