What can we do with the neglected spaces under the viaducts and bridges in Lisbon?
Article by Bernardo Fernandes and Manuel Banza
Streets, sidewalks, squares and parks are the spaces that we immediately identify as public places that we can occupy collectively and which, as a rule, require a closer look from experts and the general population. The extension of cities is a process that is sometimes organic, sometimes subject to a correlation of asymmetrical forces, which intrudes on the dynamics of city consolidation. In this process, cities pile up spaces that are perceived as wasted places; we are talking, for example, about small spaces between buildings, streets with no exits or spaces under viaducts or bridges. Traditionally poorly cared for, people identify them as dangerous, neglected or dead spaces.
At the same time, it is necessary to reflect on the importance of the existence of escape zones in the city, especially for certain segments of the population that operate far from normative behavior. Places where people can interact freely without the restrictions found in more formal or supervised environments, fundamental confrontation zones for meeting the other, for creativity and subversion; the hiding place in the forest of reinforced concrete - elements so necessary for the development of a plural and inclusive society. Today, all over the world, we are realizing that these spaces have the dignity and potential to be used as small-scale public spaces, as planned territories for informality, community meeting and activity spaces, places for storing and charging bicycles and scooters, among other beneficial characteristics for both the aesthetics of the city and the enjoyment of its residents.
