The Mouraria neighborhood was selected to be the subject of the international competition Students Reinventing Cities, organized by the group C40 Cities - of which Lisbon is a member. Participation is open until March 30th.
Until March 30, students and universities can register for the Students Reinventing Citiesan international competition launched by the C40 Cities - of which Lisbon is a part - and which aims to support proposals for transforming neighborhoods into greener and more sustainable urban areas. In the Portuguese capital, the challenge will be centered on Castle Hill, more specifically in the Mouraria neighborhood.
Students will be able to propose ideas that improve the sustainability of Mouraria while preserving its identity. In particular, we are looking for natural solutions for public spaces to help reduce the heat island effect and the impacts of heat waves, projects of water reuse and climate adaptation that promote circularity; and also initiatives that empower local communities and use art as a vehicle for climate awareness and to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.
To take part, you need to register by March 30 on the initiative's websiteThe projects can be finalized and sent in until 25 May. After analyzing all the applications, the jury will decide and announce the winners in July. Teams must have at least one university student enrolled in the current academic year, but may also include young people up to the age of 25 who are not studying. The competition is especially aimed at students of architecture, urbanism, the environment, engineering, sociology, economics and the arts. You can find out more details here.
On March 2, there will be an online session dedicated to Lisbon to present and answer questions about the competition. To watch, simply register here.
The competition Students Reinventing Cities there are no cash prizes, but the winning projects are promised visibility, both with the local mayor and the C40 Cities group; the winners will see their ideas communicated on social media, press releases and the C40 Cities website, and will have the opportunity to present their work to local political representatives. By the way, for inspiration, you can take a look at the work done in the past here.
With this initiative, the C40 cities have identified small neighbourhoods, blocks or main streets in their territories that they want to transform and revive, and are inviting multidisciplinary teams of students from around the world to imagine a way to decarbonize these urban areas and improve the quality of life of local communities, following Carlos Moreno's 15-minute city model. In Lisbon, Mouraria was the chosen territory. It is one of the city's most multicultural neighborhoodsIt is made up of narrow, sloping streets and has a variety of buildings, some of which are the oldest in the city.
Despite being the historical and cultural heart of Lisbon, Mouraria and the whole of Castelo Hill have been losing local population. At the same time, there has been a growing disparity between young and old, between locals and foreigners, as well as between workers and the unemployed. Data indicates that only 2.8% of Lisbon's population lives in Colina do Castelo, as a result of the high abandonment rate that began in the 1960s. In order to respond to this demographic challenge and combat the disparities, a project entitled Castle Hill Hub and within the framework of the European initiative HUB-INThe event was held in partnership between the City Council and the Lisboa E-Nova agency.
HUB-IN strives to be an engine of transformation for the sustainability and well-being of communities, sharing and combining innovation and traditions, with a focus on sustainability. In the case of Colina do Castelo, the overall aim of this project is to combat the desertification of this historic area by promoting more circular neighborhoods, while preserving identity and heritage. Another objective is to promote climate action, making it compatible with urban regeneration and creating better living conditions and comfort for local communities. The scope of the Castle Hill HUB-IN project is aligned with that of the Students Reinventing Cities competition, so the documentation of the former already produced can be useful for students and universities.
Below are some documents from the HUB-IN project. Also noteworthy this digital tool on the ArcGIS platform with lots of information about Mouraria.
