A green corridor is a linear unit superimposed on elements of the ecological structure that allows a continuum naturale, promoting the articulation of historical, cultural, and landscape heritage and contributing to improve the environmental quality of this territory. In addition to their ecological function, green corridors have a very important social and cultural function in an urban or peri-urban context. If, on the one hand, they allow the safeguarding of biodiversity and natural elements, on the other hand, they help to solve problems such as soil sealing and air pollution. In social terms, green corridors are excellent spaces for the promotion of outdoor recreation and leisure activities, while encouraging soft modes of transport. They also contribute to the promotion of informal education, the conservation of cultural heritage, and the improvement of the landscape heritage.
From Monsanto to the Orient, nine green corridors were created that connect important areas of the city, contributing not only to the implementation of Lisbon's Local Biodiversity Action Plan, but also to climate mitigation and adaptation.
The Monsanto Green Corridor integrates the ecological structure of the city, connecting the Monsanto Forest Park to the Eduardo VII Park, in an extension of about 2.5 km, with an area of 51 hectares and a trail network of about 40 km.
Idealized in the 1970s and championed by architect Ribeiro Telles, it was completed in 2012. Being the first green corridor of the city of Lisbon, it endowed the capital with an ecological structure with several gardens and parks, an experimental area of biodiverse grasslandsIt also has a horticultural park, a cornfield, multipurpose equipment such as bike paths, maintenance circuits, a playground, a skate park, restaurants, kiosks, and viewpoints.
Throughout the 51 hectares of green areas hundreds of trees and shrubs have been planted, including oak, cork, stone pine, almond, and plum trees.
From south to north, the Monsanto Green Corridor integrates:
O Monsanto Forest Parkbecause of its size, constitutes an autonomous unit from the other green corridors.
It represents an important structure superimposed on the city's hydric system and a relevant green axis, connecting the city's plateau area and the riverfront, in the Campolide to Alcântara area.
The corridor, under construction, will eventually be entirely covered on foot or by bicycle, without the use of motor vehicles, thus contributing to a greater democratization of sustainable mobility in some areas that are somewhat isolated due to obstacles in the surroundings.
It articulates objectives of ecological importance, related to the regularization of the water system, the recovery and increase of the vegetation cover, the ecological continuity with the Monsanto Forest Park and the use of recycled water. The intervention covers about 13 hectares, along more than 3 km, harmonizing: cycle-pedestrian corridors, new green spaces, more and better lighting, use of recycled water for irrigation, urban equipment and more than 700 new trees.
The urban redesign of the entire Alta do Lumiar area allowed the installation of two urban parks with great local and municipal relevance:
It also made possible the construction of an extensive green framing area for the roads that form the central axis, sides and traffic circles, consisting of large lawns, trees, and dense shrubby patches.
The Green Corridor of Alta do Lumiar intends to articulate this park structure with the peripheral northern corridor, namely with the Garden of Quinta de Santa Clara and with the Central Corridor to the south, in particular with the Alvalade WoodIt is a green space for public use in a strip parallel to Rua das Murtas (being redeveloped).
The Central Corridor is a discontinuous green structure, resulting from the overlapping of small and medium-sized green areas integrated in the built fabric, based on low density spaces, mainly in public use equipment, such as the Zoo, the University City, the University Stadium, the Hospital Park, and the LNEC.
O Mário Soares Garden is the most important park in this corridor. This garden is the starting point for the articulation with the green spaces of the Hospital Park and LNEC, target of intervention that allowed the opening to the public, functioning as a green corridor between the Alvalade Wood / Narigão's Farm and the Quinta das Conchas e dos LilasesIt also includes recreation and leisure areas and a horticultural park.
O University Stadiumas well as the University Cityare green spaces integrated in equipments with a very relevant importance in the ecological continuum. On the opposite side, the Bairro de Alvalade, with its multiple terraces, represents a unique green structure in the city of Lisbon.
The articulation between the central corridor and the Olivais and Oriental corridors will be reinforced with the installation of an accessible connection for pedestrians and bicycles over Av. Gago Coutinho.
It extends between Monsanto Forest Park, in Alto da Ajuda, and Rua Eduardo Bairrada, in Ajuda.
It also includes discontinuous spaces in the surroundings, such as the Ladies' Garden and the Ajuda Botanical Garden. Divided into a northern and a southern area, it is composed of extensive green areas, paths, picnic areas, and a small riding arena, as well as a horticultural park.
The Urban Parks of Rio Seco I, II, III, and IV, totaling about 2.7 hectares, constitute an area that has been built in stages:
In the Urban Park, further north, the valley was cleaned and the stream was recovered, trees and bushes were planted, a network of paths and a "pigeon fancier's village" was built.
In total about one thousand trees and five thousand shrubs have been planted.
The Olivais Green Corridor is a connecting structure between the different local parks and green areas.
From the José Gomes Ferreira Parkthe route that connects the green areas bordering Avenida Cidade do Porto to the Olivais Urban Park and the Vale do Silêncio Parkone of the best examples of an urban park with a profound modernist conception, with continuity to the new Urban Park of Quinta do Conde de Arcos.
O Vale do Silêncio Park consists of an extensive lawn inside and surrounded by a forest. It has a kiosk, playground, fitness park, climbing wall, dog park (under construction), maintenance circuit and several hiking trails with direct contact with nature. Inside there is a cycle path that extends to the Oriente station.
Crossing Berlin Avenue provides a direct connection to Olivais Urban Park which has a children's playground, a horticultural park with 31 plots, a maintenance circuit connected to the Silence Valley Park and the Eucalyptus Street woods.
The continuity along the bicycle path of Avenida Francisco Luís Gomes allows you to reach the Urban Park of Quinta do Conde de Arcos which has, inside, a playground, recreational areas, walking trails, and a horticultural park with 45 plots. The farm also has a municipal nursery, the Gardening School and the School of Pedestrian Training, and a daycare center (nearing completion).
Among the various green spaces for public use in the parish of Olivais, we can highlight the Maria de Lourdes Sá Teixeira Gardenthe Eucalyptus Street Garden and the Alameda da Encarnação.
Located in the northern part of Lisbon, it will cover, when fully completed, more than 150 hectares of green areas.
It allows the connection between the Monsanto Forest Park and the Vale da Ameixoeira Park, adjacent to the regional ecological structure, namely the Várzea de Loures area that extends over more than 1000 hectares, following the Trancão River to its mouth in the Tagus River.
It presents solutions of continuity that contrast with larger green spaces. It stands out;
Also under construction is the Green Park for the future Feira Popular de Lisboa, in Carnide.
In the same way, the ongoing works of requalification of the historic nucleus of Carnide and the Paço do Lumiar constitute important areas of patrimonial consolidation with public and private green spaces, being part of the urban mesh.
In 2020, four important spaces that will definitively conclude this decades-old project of the peripheral green corridor will enter construction:
The riparian corridor constitutes a remarkable river-estuarine interface, with enormous ecological importance and a sensitive area from the point of view of flood risks.
Heavily artificialized throughout centuries, it has been possible to open the river to the city through a series of requalifications. The green structure assumes a discontinuous character in several points where, besides the artificialization of the margins, the port activities acquire preponderance.
Since the redevelopment resulting from Expo 98, there has been a movement back to the Tagus and the enjoyment of its banks, particularly in Parque das Nações, Largo José Saramago, Terreiro do Paço and Ribeira das Naus. In addition to the cycling connection between Cais do Sodré and the Torre de Belém, several riverside areas have been opened to the public, car parking on the riverfront between Docas de Santo Amaro and Torre de Belém has been abolished, and tree lanes have been created. The Torre de Belém/Algés section welcomed the Champalimaud Foundation with new gardens and public spaces, in parallel with the demolition of the Docapesca area in Pedrouços. The cycling connection between Santa Apolónia and Parque das Nações allowed circulation between areas previously isolated by a continuous port front. Recently, the first phase of the Parque Ribeirinho Oriente opened in Marvila, an important link to the Eastern Green Corridor.
The riverside corridor had a boost in 2017 with the connection to the riverfront of the Municipality of Loures, through the articulation between the two municipalities for the creation of a cycle pedestrian bridge over the Trancão River and the adaptation of the banks with paths for enjoyment and leisure. This connection, along with the qualification of the riverside walkways along the edge of the Beirolas Landfill, will allow the valorization of this important margin.
Located in the eastern part of Lisbon, in the parishes of Marvila and Beato, it develops in the continuity of Belavista Park and constitutes Lisbon's second largest green area
The existing path network connects the Belavista Park South to Belavista Park Central (through a green viaduct over Marechal António Spínola Avenue), to the Mountain Valley Urban Park and to Casal Vistoso Park (through the cycling pedestrian bridge). Along with this network of paths, there are several storm drainage lines that result in a naturalized retention area, very rich in biodiversity. With extensive low-load green areas, biodiversity plays an important role in management models here. In these meadows, dryland solutions are being tested, capable of contributing to the closing of the carbon cycle, including, in the near future, the occasional grazing of animals.
The eastern green corridor continues along the Mountain Valley Urban Park and the 11 hectares of its urban park that recovers the surface pluvial drainage lines, which connect it, as well as the network of paths, to the Belavista South Park. In a second phase (in project), this park will have a connection to the Chelas Valleycontinue to the riverside area of Xabregas.
To the west, the connection to Olaias and Alameda Dom Afonso Henriques, towards Avenida Duque d'Ávila and Monsanto Forest Parkis via a cyclopedestrian bridge over the inner belt railway line and the Mountain Valleywith direct connection to Casal Vistoso Park, an area that also includes a horticultural park with 17 plots and a fitness park. This park recovers the surface pluvial drainage lines and is connected by a network of paths to Belavista Sul park. The second phase of this urban park is being planned for the south and is expected to open in 2021.
To the east, the Vale de Chelas Urban ParkThe largest vegetable park in Europe built from scratch, with 219 plots, has a gazebo with a rest area, a children's park, a skate park, and ping-pong tables.
The cyclopedestrian bridge over Avenida do Santo Condestável allows, together with the following section, to connect the Vale Fundão Valley Urban Park. This park, which originated in the 1960s, has rest areas, a fitness park, a network of footpaths and a maintenance circuit. It was expanded to include a vegetable park with a total of 44 plots and a retention basin for rainwater. It was also equipped with a wooden acoustic barrier to isolate the park from Avenida Marechal António de Spínola. It is crossed by a cycle track that connects the Chelas Valley to the river.
In this link you will find Quinta das Flores Park It has a horticultural park with 40 plots, a children's playground, and a wooded area that includes a resting area and the forest of graffiti resistant elm clones.
The arrival to the river in the Braço de Prata area will connect with the Oriente Riverfront Parkby the Tagus River.
To the north, the Belavista Park connects through the former golf course to the Lisbon Wine Park, a space that will house a horticultural park and that connects with the Central Green Corridor and the Olivais Corridor.
O LPP / Lisbon For People é um jornal local dedicado à cidade e à área metropolitana de Lisboa, editado de forma totalmente independente e sem fins lucrativos. Com uma edição em papel e outra online.