LUDA is a research project of Key Action 4 "City of Tomorrow & Cultural Heritage" of the programme "Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development" within the Fifth Framework Programme of the European Commission.

The LUDA e-newsletter is a free electronic document, edited by the LUDA research team from the Leibniz Institute of Ecological and Regional Development in Dresden (Germany). The e-newsletter is distributed every three months, providing project updates, information on current affairs and details of other interesting issues.

The 7th issue of the newsletter is dedicated to the partner city Lisbon. In our series "Cities Stories" the Lisbon Team presents different aspects of the case study area Ameixoeira / Galinheiras, like the uses of the open spaces, problems of migration and illegal buildings as well as social, historical and economic aspects of revitalisation. However the Lisbon Team offered a wide overview now the Lisbon "Cities Stories" is not finished; in the forthcoming newsletter issues other aspects of the case study area will be further discussed.

Julie Gannon and Gillian O'Brien from DIT Dublin in the essay calls for a better link between the property-led regeneration and social renewal explaining it on the example of the current policy approaches towards urban regeneration in Ireland.

We wish you a nice lecture!

The IOER LUDA Team

3rd LUDA Conference: "Sharing Experiences"

The next project conference "Sharing Experiences - Developing Strategies for Large Urban Distressed Areas" will take place from 2nd to 3rd December 2004 in Salzburg. The aim of the conference is to provide a platform for the direct involvement of the Reference Cities into the project, to enhance the networking activities within the project consortium and to broader transfer of the project results.
The presentations and discussions about the cities experience will follow in three groups: 1. Specific Experience in Environmental Quality and Urban Structure Aspects, 2. Specific Experiences in Human/Social Development and Economic Development aspects, 3. Specific Experiences in Community Capacity/Governance and image aspects. The presented examples and results of the discussions will be included in the LUDA Compendium. About the progress we will inform you in the next issue of the newsletter.

A LUDA declaration on requirements for the new urban policies will be discussed and adopted in Salzburg. The declaration includes the requirements on the EU policy for the future handling of increasing social and spatial polarisation in the cities, leading to the emergence of large urban distressed areas. The declaration refers to the definition of the research on the one hand and to the revitalisation programmes of the large distressed areas on the other.

Good practice asked

Sharing experiences goes beyond the conference. The LUDA project is searching for experiences and on the project website under http://www.luda-project.net/netw01.html the following inquiry is posted:
How the inhabitants of LUDA zones can be led to acceptance of changes in their environment and how to increase their participation in the process?
The aim of this inquiry is to collect the good practice examples. There are already some answers from our Partner Cities: Edinburgh, Valenciennes, Florence and Lisbon. We want to ask you to share with us your experiences!

The pilot projects of the partner city Dresden aim at improving the image of the Weißeritz area. This area suffers from low or not existing land use pressure of the private sector, low image, wasteland, empty houses and not appropriate land uses, contamination of the ground as well as a flood hazard. In order to enhance the image building the art project Licht+Spiele (Light and Plays) was carried out by LUMOPOL (www.lumopol.de) and supported by the municipality of Dresden.
During a week in September 2004, 12 art objects with lightning effects were exhibited around, in and over the river Weißeritz, the backbone of the area (http://www.lumopol.de/lichtspiele/uebersicht.html). The exhibition was part of a public relations campaign that involved panels’ discussions about the relationship between “lighting art” and urban development. This camp aign aimed at attracting the inhabitants’ attention and as symbols for the identification potential.
For the first time many persons were confronted with the peculiarities of the Weißeritz area and an encouraging perception of the areas characteristics could be identified.
During this week the new proposal for the green corridor through the Weißeritz area has been also publicly presented.
More about the actions in the city of Dresden will be presented in the next issue of the newsletter which will be dedicated to the city of Dresden.

During the workshop in Lisbon, there was an informal discussion between Mr Vincent Farvel - scientific officer of the European Commission and Mrs Petríková and Mr Furdík of Bratislava-Raca about particularities and differences of case studies in the Partner Cities. During the discussion Mr. Farwell was invited to visit Bratislava.

Mr Favrel paid a visit on the 02.09.2004 to Bratislava, where the mayor, Mr P. Bielik welcomed him. The visit included a site visit to the case study area of Raca. Mr. Bielik introduced the city to the guests supported by aerial maps of the Bratislava- Raca.

Our concrete cognition of the LUDA case study in Bratislava began from the intersection of the north-west railway line, through areas of Pri Šajbách, Dopravná ulica-Rendez. The site visit continued with depot, agricultural used areas and the second part of Luda Žabí Majer. During the journey there were been presented the ongoing projects and discussed specific problems of whole area and its single parts, possible solutions and the perspectives.

There were some topics emerged from the discussion:

1. The process of developing a master plan and territorial progress is made between vision, concepts and reality.
2. Main problem of LUDA in Bratislava-Raca is its spatial isolation and the insufficient facilities in the area and in its neighbourhoods.
3. Solving problems of LUDA is a long-term process and its successful realisation requires systematically approach with participation of inhabitants, stakeholders, municipality and experts.
4. In addiction to the long-term goals is necessary to solve day-to-day problems in the area.

Bratislava Team

The in 1946 founded Academy for Spatial Research and Planning (ARL) is a research institute active in fundamental and applied spatial research. The ARL is a member of the scientific association Leibniz (WGL).
The Academy is an interdisciplinary network. The task of this network is to bring together competences within the spatial sciences. So the self-conception of ARL is to be a forum to promote co-operation both between theory and practice as well as on the spatial scale among the regions.
Another important aim is to promote young scientist in spatial planning and research. That's why the ARL founded 1998 the network "Junges Forum". Its principal function is to facilitate the contact between the generations of scientists as well as the exchange of knowledge and experience within the spatial sciences. The Forum takes place once a year at changing locations. The venue in 2004 was the Leibniz Institute of Ecological and Regional Development in Dresden (IÖR). Over 50 practitioners, researchers as well as students discussed about the characteristics and impacts of distressed areas on urban or regional level as well as the possibilities of planers to deal with such areas.
Special interest of the last meeting was to find answers for the following questions with regard to urban distressed areas:

• How is the impact of growing or shrinking process of the population?
• What are the challenges for planning practitioners and researchers?
• What restrictions do influence the process of restructuring?
• How do change the bad image of such areas by restructuring activities?

These thematic cores were discussed and concretised in three working groups. Furthermore reflections to distressed areas were given through the presentations and an excursion in the LUDA "Weißeritz" in Dresden.
The results and contributions of the participants of this forum will be published as working material in 2005 by the ARL.
The next Young Forum will take place from 1st to 3rd of June 2005 in Gelsenkirchen. The subject of this meeting will be the situations and perspectives of agglomerations development.

Leander Küttner (IOER)

The Greencluster Project

The Greencluster Project from the Initiative "City-of-Tomorrow" of the EU is clustering five research projects on green space in urban areas. Five ongoing EU funded research projects are addressing, from different perspectives, the function of green space in the urban environment. Rather than presenting the results of these individual projects in a fragmented way, the projects have come together to present their findings in a co-ordinated manner in order to enhance their impact.
The projects of the Greencluster, address the various functional values of green space. These functions include their contribution to social, economic and environmental well being of the city. As the projects range in their approaches from fundamental to applied and from highly technical to primarily participatory and communicative, there is an academic challenge in demonstrating how the projects can supplement each other and together be more than the sum of the constituent parts.

To read more about the project please look under: www.greencluster.org

An international conference, titled: "Urban Renewal Of Housing, Social And Economic Substance - Creation Of Social, Cultural, And Tourist Projects Within The Degraded Urban And Post-Industrial Areas", was held in Warsaw on 10th and 11th September 2004 under the patronage of the Mayor of the Capital City of Warsaw and the President of EUROCITIES (the Network of Major European Cities).
The aim of the conference was to share experiences about the renewal of degraded urban areas, with reference to examples of urban renewal projects and the possibility of financing such projects from EU funds. The example discussed was the Old Praga District in Warsaw.
Over the two days, attendees were invited to listen to 65 short lectures and were divided into 6 working groups. The atmosphere of the renovated "Fabryka Trzciny" building, featuring creatively designed interiors, encouraged intense discussion amongst participants.

Case study Praga

The first attempts to revitalise Warsaw began in the early 1990s. However, there were many formal problems including a lack of legal regulations and lack of appropriate instruments. Now, with access to structural funds from the EU, urban renewal is possible. The Praga district, in inner city Warsaw, is one of the revitalisation areas. The project is managed by the "Holding-Wars S.A" - the Warsaw Development Company.
Residents see Warsaw as divided into 2 parts: the better one on the left bank of the Vistula, and the bad one on the right - the Praga district. Praga has never been fully integrated into the main body of the city. It was not destroyed during the World War II and is, therefore, very valuable for Warsaw, which was destroyed to a great extent. But Praga became an industrial district and the hinterland of Warsaw. It was also fortunate to escape the post-war "reconstruction" and redevelopment, concentrated in the city centre

This district now suffers social deprivation, poverty, and a poor image (small-and larger scale criminality, mafia elements, acts of aggression) on the one hand yet, on the other hand, is centrally located with many historical and cultural buildings, including unique historical residential substance. A significant proportion of the pre-1939 housing stock has remained to the present day, alongside most of the factories. Public properties were often under- or badly-used and are in bad technical condition, requiring renovation. The high density of residential accommodation is problematic: in order to revitalise and improve living standards, some displacement will be necessary.
Renovation is already underway in Praga. The district is becoming fashionable, on account of its unique ambience, with artists establishing workshops and entrepreneurs converting factories into cultural centres, other institutions and private businesses.

Key-notes

Despite the division of the attendees into working groups, some common aspects of revitalisation can be noted from this conference.

Social aspects:
Revitalisation is about conceptualising the city as a bridge between the past and the present, and in a constant state of flux. Revitalisation serves the residents rather than the tourists, as tourists are often looking for authenticity.
Urban renewal and development must take into consideration the social environment and the nature of the city. During the revitalisation process, residents cannot be forgotten as the addressees of the actions. Therefore, concentrating on city neighbourhoods and their characteristics and developing more public spaces will be most beneficial to the local population in conjunction with interdisciplinary approaches to the revitalisation plans, and clear competency descriptions of the NGOs active locally. The renovation and reuse of vacant buildings can create new working environments for local people. Conserving historical valuable buildings is an important factor in developing the local identity and improving area's image. Identifying the social milieus makes it possible to integrate local people into the revitalisation process and make use of the local community's potential. There is also a need to improve the infrastructure (transport services, street lighting etc) and potential for tourism. Through the constant monitoring of the projects, changes and developments can be evaluated and modified, if necessary.

Financing and legal regulations:
Public-private partnerships are growing in popularity across Europe, in terms of regeneration projects, leading to improved co-ordination and financial flexibility. These partnerships introduce new sources of finance, new skills and technological experience, new management and organizational structures and fewer public sector risks. However, the disadvantages of public-private partnerships include higher public risks, complex, detailed and costly contracts, extended concessions, less flexibility and the risks associated with private capital.
There is a need for further relevant legislation in Poland. New revitalisation law should encompass the new and complex forms of financing and regulations relating to Public-Private Partnerships. The existing tools for revitalisation are not sufficient and should also be revised. There is also a need for regulations towards easy accessible credits for the revitalisation. The regulations dealing with the revitalisation process have to offer flexibility and not restrict the stakeholders and operators. Without regulations in these areas, structural funds in Poland cannot be fully absorbed in order to address the complex programmes tackling social, economic and spatial problems.

Physical aspects:
The revitalisation projects have to integrate social, economic, physical and promotional aspects. The sole concentration on physical revitalization results only in the displacement of poorer residents, shunting social problems into other areas of the city. An urban renaissance project should be based on civic principles and contribute to the construction of a city where residents can live in a pleasant environment.
The revitalisation of a city can lead to beneficial competition with other cities through physical renewal and, above all, offer potential for new forms of social and economic activities.
Pilot projects, in these large distressed areas, are very important as they can act as catalysts in the revitalisation process. Very often, these early projects relate to culture as a means of improving the site's image and attracting tourists and investors. There are some key points to be considered in the revitalisation process, such as: the size of the investments, location, transport infrastructure and the appropriate uses.
The industrial heritage of Warsaw is very attractive both educationally and in terms of tourism. However, these are only exploited to a small extent. The knowledge about the industrial buildings should be involved in developing the identity of the residents; involved into the school education this knowledge can assist the development of the creativity, innovation and initiative of the residents.

Exchange of experiences
The exchange of experiences and accumulated knowledge amongst the cities is an important tool in the revitalisation processes. The Community Initiative Programme, URBACT, facilitates networking between cities from all the Member States. The website http://www.urbact.org constitutes the main platform of exchange between cities, the presentation of analytical summaries of examples in practice, the process of capitalisation and the principal tool of dissemination.

Patrycja Bielawska - Roepke (IOER)

language revision Fiona H. Campbell
pictures with a kind permission of the information service Praga Polnoc, www.praga-pn.waw.pl

Call for Applications: Course on Planning and Financing Cities in Transition: The Strategic Approach

The course presents an integrated approach to meet urban challenges. It shows how urban development and financing strategies can and should be integrated in the overall urban strategy and its implementation. It uses exercises and it is build on various cases studies from the region and beyond to illustrate the concepts presented.
The course will take place in Budapest in two 5-day blocks: January 24-28, and March 7-11, 2005. The language of the course is English.

The course has six modules: introduction on cities and globalization, strategic approach, public choices in financing and organization of services urban challenges, specific services, integration of strategies and activities. During the course, a variety of teaching techniques will be used: lectures, case studies presentations and discussion, in-class exercises, professional city-tour on the Budapest development sites and meeting with professionals working on the filed.

The course is offered to practitioners, local and central government officials and decision-makers, policy-makers and policy advisors, think-tank experts from the South East European countries of: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, and Turkey. The organizers will pay tuition, accommodation, meals and health insurance for selected applicants. Participants are expected to pay their travel costs, and visa-related costs.

Applicants are encouraged to submit with their application a two-page proposal for a case study that they know from their practice. The case study can be on any topic belonging to the six course modules. The faculty will select the best three proposed case studies, and selected applicants will be offered travel-cost waivers if they submit fully developed case studies by January 10, 2005.

Final deadline for applications is November 29, 2004.

for more information and application forms please look under: http://lgi.osi.hu/documents.php?id=166

Reforming Urban Renewal Policies: the Role of Corporate Social Responsibility?

Urban regeneration is a challenge that has increasingly dominated Irish Government policy agendas, and is one that justifiably requires attention. This is particularly the case in Dublin, where managing urban regeneration is a relatively recent endeavour in comparison with most other European countries. Since the enactment of the Urban Renewal Act, 1986, urban regeneration in Dublin has been generally property-led, owing to a series of fashionable tax incentive schemes introduced under the Act (DoE, 1986). Although these schemes are recognised internationally as effective models to facilitate urban regeneration, their success in Dublin has been limited in terms of integrating the needs of the local communities of these areas (MacLaran, 1993). It is suggested here that what is needed is a more holistic approach to urban regeneration, an approach that no longer turns a blind eye to the negative impacts that redevelopment can have on local communities and the wider environment. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), it is contended, is one such approach through which this lack of integration can be tackled. By encouraging more ethical and responsible behaviour on the part of the private sector, CSR can help lead to the creation of more meaningful and trustworthy partnerships between developers, public sector bodies and local indigenous communities in order to make urban regeneration more sustainable in the future.

Context

The city of Dublin has undergone a series of rapid transformations in recent decades. Emerging from the 1980's as "probably the shabbiest, most derelict city in Europe" (Mc Donald, 1985), today it embodies one of the most popular cities internationally, having an almost "palpable 'buzz' about it" (McDonald, 2000), which is largely owing to the phenomenal economic growth experienced during the 1990's; this growth, however, has not come without its costs. Today, Dublin is faced with a multitude of interrelated pressures and challenges, each of which must be resolved through the implementation of specific and targeted responses (Roberts, 2000). Consequently, systems of urban governance in Ireland are continually confronted with the need to address and overcome these challenges, so that the urban entity as a whole can begin to function effectively in an integrated and sustainable way; confronting the need for sustainable urban regeneration is central to achieving this goal.

Urban Renewal Policies in Dublin: Lessons Learned

There was no real concerted government activity for the renewal of urban blackspots in Dublin until the 1980's, which saw the rise of a number of policy initiatives that enabled the Irish government to tackle designated areas of urban decay through fiscal measures. Legislation enacted during this period provided the private sector with the incentive to invest in urban areas that they would probably not have considered otherwise. These initiatives were successful to the extent that they stimulated a major physical renewal of the areas in question, as well as a boom in office and residential development (Williams, 1999). This is particularly evident, for example, by the decision to locate the international and financial services centre (IFSC) in the Docklands area of Dublin, once infamous for its derelict wastelands (www.ifsc.ie). Unfortunately, there is evidence of 'dead weight', in that some of the projects that enjoyed tax breaks under these schemes might have gone ahead anyway. Furthermore, these schemes have contributed to current spiralling land prices (KPMG, 1996) and the marginalisation of local communities through the process of gentrification. Perhaps if private property-led investors were influenced to evaluate the impact of their development activities on the surrounding locality by means of tax-related stipulations obliging companies to act in a socially responsible manner, the problems evident today may have been avoided. Instead, what we have witnessed is a failure to link property-led regeneration with social renewal. There is a call, therefore, for reforming current policy approaches towards urban regeneration in Ireland, and particularly so in Dublin, where one third of the population resides.

Corporate Social Responsibility: The Way Forward?

Sustainable urban regeneration can only be realised if a long-term strategic framework for development is adopted that ensures development occurs in accord with the principles of sustainable development, encompassing both social responsibility and ethical behaviour. Establishing meaningful partnerships between all involved in the redevelopment of an area is central to this objective; the role of the private sector cannot be underestimated in this regard. Urban regeneration is by nature an interventionist activity that has become increasingly a matter of public-private consensus. With this growing trend towards Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in urban regeneration, it is clear that there is a need to ensure that business acts responsibly and in concert with the local community of the area. CSR is an important instrument that can ensure this goal is fulfilled: that the private sector plays its part in rising to the challenges of sustainable urban regeneration by integrating social, environmental and economic considerations into its decision-making processes at all levels during a regeneration project. In this way, trust would be built up between the different interests of the project. For example, applying CSR initiatives to a regeneration project would require the developer to take into account the specified nature of the disadvantaged area under scrutiny by investing in both the physical and non-physical elements of the existent community.

Without doubt, the primary function of business is to create value by producing goods and services that society needs. It is, however, becoming more apparent that business can simultaneously make a contribution to the needs and goals of society and the environment by integrating CSR as part of its overall corporate strategy. The basic concept of CSR is that business and society are closely interwoven, rather than distinct entities. Igloo, for example, is a UK regeneration partnership that invests in creating environmentally sustainable, mixed-use, well-designed, urban neighbourhoods in regeneration areas on the edge of 20 city centres. The partnership is committed to a policy of 'socially responsible investment' to ensure that whilst achieving acceptable financial returns, social and environmental benefits are also delivered to the area. Put simply, Igloo believes that by adopting this ethos, its investments will perform better because they will contribute to the regeneration of the area and the indigenous community as an entirety (www.igloo.uk.net). Recognising the interdependence between business and society, it is argued, is vital if progress towards sustainable urban regeneration is to be made.

Conclusion

Urban policy must be in line with the pace and scale of urban change so that it can have a significant enough influence over the form and functioning of cities in the 21st century, and in particular their distressed areas, which will undoubtedly represent areas of strategic importance in the future. Because cities matter, and bear an overwhelming influence, not only on regional, but national economic progress and development, urban policy must evolve to reflect the changing assignment of responsibility for the effective management of urban regeneration (Roberts, 2000). As Stegman noted "the tragedy of the inner city affects everyone" and the overall performance of a city bears consequences for the rest of the country. Corporate social responsibility is vital in the plight to achieve sustainable, civic and accountable systems of urban governance through which urban regeneration can be realised more effectively. Owing to the fact that urban regeneration is an activity which is likely to experience considerable changes in its governing structures in the future, it is a good time for business to take on board the guiding principles of CSR, such as operating ethically and with integrity; sustaining the environment for future generations; and becoming socially interactive within the community. By embracing these principles of CSR, therefore, both the private sector and the public domain can reap the benefits and areas of urban distress are a prime example of a sector of society where these benefits are clearly required.

References

Department of the Environment (1986) Urban Renewal Act, The Stationery Office, Dublin.

KPMG, et al. (1996) Study on the Urban Renewal Schemes, Department of the Environment, The Stationery Office, Dublin.

MacLaran, A. (1993) Dublin: the Shaping of a Capital, Belhaven Press, London and New York.

McDonald, F. (1985) The Destruction of Dublin, Gill & Macmillan.

McDonald, F. (2000) The Construction of Dublin, Gandon Editions.

Roberts, P. (2000) The Evolution, Definition and Purpose of Urban Regeneration. In Roberts, P. and Sykes, H. (eds.) (2000) Urban Regeneration: A Handbook.

Roberts, P. and Sykes, H. (eds.) (2000) Urban Regeneration: A Handbook, SAGE Publications Ltd., London.

Julie Gannon, Gillian O'Brien, The Futures Academy, Dublin Institute of Technology

LISBON

The Lisbon case study area, Ameixoeira/Galinheiras, has been considered part of Lisbon since 1852. This area, with 185 ha and a population around 20 000 inhabitants, is placed between four different boundaries: the main road going north out of Lisbon; the territorial limit of the city which borders two other municipalities; the Lisbon airport; and another important road, currently under construction. It is a heterogeneous area that includes a historical quarter, a number of residential buildings, illegal buildings and, as a result, experiences serious social problems. The area was chosen as the LUDA case study on account of its social problems and the lack of urban planning.
The social problems mainly relate to the lack of facilities (educational, social and health care) and also the evident social exclusion, conflicts and increasing insecurities caused by the recent concentration of minority ethnic populations (namely gypsies) now living in the reallocation buildings.

The other problems are essentially related to the poor quality of existing buildings, the illegal properties and the absence of urban planning which has resulted in other struggles, in terms of public spaces, roads and public transport.

In the historical quarter there are specific problems concerning the old buildings which have patrimonial value yet are deteriorating day-after-day, due to the lack of private and public financing.

To solve these problems, the strategy developed by the Lisbon LUDA team is thematic and all the programmes will be developed towards the central theme of "music". With this "Music Strategy", the area will also begin to play an important role in the development of the city as a whole, given that music is a factor linked to sophisticated activities, to innovation and to the development of human beings. The existing project, on the development of a new Music School in Ameixoeira, can be transformed into a strategic project for the development of the whole area, largely through promoting links between the school and excluded people and also by developing a cluster of economic activities related to music.
This strategy implies greater participation from residents and stakeholders. Starting by knowing their needs and wishes, capacities and ideas, the implementation of the strategy will require the creation of small groups to focus on specific problems and also the establishment of neighbourhood groups.

In anticipation of achieving these aims, the multidisciplinary LUDA Lisbon Team decided to write a city story based around specific themes. The following series of articles demonstrate that each member of the team is bearing in mind the important steps in progressing toward improving the quality of life in the Lisbon large urban distressed area.

Lisbon's peripheral landscape preserves visible rural landmarks, legacies from Arabian and Roman occupation. However, the convents, farms, old pedestrian roads, olive groves and vegetable gardens which reflect both urban and rustic values and contribute to a cultural and humanist expression of the city, are being ignored by a chaotic urban expansion.
Located in the north fringe of Lisbon, the LUDA case study area constitutes a vague testimony of this traditional landscape: the farms of the Ameixoeira historical area, the old net of pedestrian roads that ensured local circulation and other rural structures that remain intact. Despite the tendency to depreciate and abandon these historical legacies, rural values remain rooted in the local population through the plantation of vegetable gardens.

In fact, intra-urban agriculture, a micro-scale phenomenon in Lisbon as a whole, has a strong expression in the LUDA case study area peripheral neighbourhoods, where a part of the population finds its cultural roots through gardening. The free spaces, fallow lands, yards, patios and flowerbeds are frequently used by this population for the plantation of fruit and ornamental trees, mixed with vegetable, aromatic and medicinal plants and, sometimes, with the raising of small animals.
At present, urban agriculture constitutes a universal reality with economic, social and ecological consequences.

Domestic vegetable gardens are a source of increased income for less affluent families allowing an easy supply of fresh provisions and the sale of traditional products such as flowers and plants. However these spaces aren't just appealing to less affluent citizens. All over Europe we can observe the development of a new class of vegetable garden's users, from a different economic and vocational background, who transform urban vegetable gardens into landscaped garden spaces where the family will spend most of their free time. In Portugal, this is not a significant phenomenon within the urban space, but it has begun to impact upon some rural areas that are often chosen by the urban population for weekend residences. As a form of leisure activity where participants can enjoy close contact with nature, gardening plays an important role in maintaining mental and physical stability in those who practice it. Gardening can also work to establish the dynamics of communitarian organization and solidarity, and constitutes an interesting instrument in terms of addressing social inclusion.

The contribution of these spaces to the improvement of the urban environment is also important. Planting vegetation on vacant land, whether it is wasteland or destined for real estate development, will aid water circulation, help reduce soil erosion, increase the permeability of the soil and work to combat pollution. The benefits of the integration of urban vegetable gardens in areas of the city where the rural heritage has been conserved as with the Lisbon LUDA requires recognition and urgent attention in order to promote their protection and avoid deterioration.

The importance of these spaces is demonstrated in the Ameixoeira Valley Urban Park project integrated into the Peripheral Park plan. Part of Lisbon's ecological structure, the Peripheral Park has been developed along the northern stripe of the council's border and is constituted by a continuous reticulated structure, starting in Monsanto Park and finishing in Ameixoeira. The Peripheral Park includes remarkable farms, historical quarters, old pedestrian roads, cemeteries and industrial areas that are coherently interconnected, aiming at the qualification of public spaces and a higher living standards for residents. In the Ameixoeira Valley strategy, the Peripheral Park will include vegetable garden areas that will be allocated to the inhabitants of the Alto do Chapeleiro neighbourhood, whilst also promoting the appropriation of the park by its users.
An urban development can't, therefore, neglect its heritage and should promote land uses that improve civic functioning, correspond to citizens' needs and desires and perform a fundamental role in the preservation of the collective memory.

Maria Almeida

History of a building: Quinta de Santo Antonio

"Santo António" Estate is an old property, both rustic and urban, situated on an old road in the historical area of Ameixoeira, known as "Santo António" alley. This magnificent house, consisting of two floors and a separate construction used, in the past, as a Billiards Room; also includes a beautiful terrace over the old stable, coach house garage and cellar; 3600 m2 of kitchen-gardens and 350 m2 of landscaped gardens.
The building dates from before the 17th Century when it belonged to Dr. Luiz de Foios de Souza, a squire and politician from the Lisbon Senate, who ordered the construction of a new chapel with the invocation of "Santo António", in 1684.

In the 18th Century, after a number of different inhabitants had imposed their personalities upon the estate, the farm consisted of: the main residence, a store, a watering hole, a well and landscaped garden, vineyards, a shed with its respective fence and a Chapel.

During the 1800s, the property had changed ownership and came to be the object of tenancy renewals, which lasted until 1865. After this, the farm had new owners and inhabitants, until a lawyer, a great figure of republican politics, acquired it in 1935 when it was in considerable poor condition, and proceeded to begin its restoration.

In 1942, the residence returned to being inhabited on a regular basis until 1972 when it was once more abandoned, resulting from the death of its proprietors. However, this time the period of decay was shorter and the house became a family residence between 1979 and 1991; where definitively lost the affection of those who had love it.

1991 marked a turning point in the fortunes of the estate. The property was placed on the market and attracted a purchaser who proposed to destroy the farm and promote new, high-density buildings in order to give economical viability to the land. The City Council of Lisbon intervened and prevented the conclusion of the purchase, but the lack of concrete measures to guarantee its preservation resulted in the complete destruction of the estate. Transformed into a venue for illicit businesses, and the object of vandalism, the farm was completely razed by a huge fire, which spared only the tile façade.

Nowadays, from "Santo António" Farm, remains signs from the Chapel in the cellar vestibule and the window and door-openings from the main residence, among which is possible to glimpse the colours of the sky. From the memory and the glory of long ago, an estate can be reborn, inserted into a modern and urban context, based upon the redevelopment of the building's shell. This space could be destined for the establishment of a new facility, or could be included in the "music as factor of local development" philosophy, as a possible venue for the relocation of the " Music Museum".

Tiago Spranger

History of a place: Ameixoeira and Galinheiras

Until the mid-1950s, the case study area consisted of summer residences for the Lisbon population, based in an assemblage of farms, orchards, olive-groves, old roads and alleys, few of which remain today. Due to the construction of the Portela Airport and the consequent displacement of people from their homes on the development site to the Galinheiras municipal quarter, a "construction fever" began with the first land divisions in the "Casal de Nossa Senhora da Saúde" and the new municipal quarter in Galinheiras. This boom in construction lasted until the 1970s.
A sequence of national events, as the reduction of 1950/60 emigration flows and a hastened decolonisation, that brought a large community resident in the African colonies back to Portugal; resulted in a growing search for inhabitation in Lisbon area. The real estate market and cities planning were not prepared to this population boom and a parallel market appeared, based on illegal housing buildings and offering poor habitability conditions; originating neighbourhoods as Galinheiras, Alto do Chapeleiro or Quinta da Torrinha.

At the same time, through Ameixoeira's Valley, in a privileged part of Lisbon, illegal and degraded quarters as "Quinta da Torrinha" and "Alto do Chapeleiro" grew up.
In 1999, a land division project presented by the Lisbon City council, resulted in the recent construction of new rehousing buildings, known as PER 1b, 2a, 3, 4, 5 and 6a; involving the Peripheral Park and "Quinta da Torrinha".

The Ameixoeira's Valley development, based on the construction of more reallocation complexes, became one of the biggest problems within this area. Disappointment, violence, discredit for the municipality and bad neighbourhood relationships, generated a serious social conflict that is important to solve.

Recently, the Subway arrival, the last chunk of "Eixo Norte/Sul" (the highway linking North and South Highways out of Lisbon) construction and "Alto do Lumiar" master plan implementation, as well as the construction of new buildings for the free market, through the construction of the Europan winning project; conferred to this area the necessary "energy" to implement its development.

Tiago Spranger

A look over Galinheiras

Galinheiras is an important fragment of a large urban distressed area which is located in a peripheral territory, in the north of Lisbon. It covers an area of 46 ha, limited SW by the Peripheral Park, NW by the military road, NE by the administrative limit of the Lisbon municipality and SE by the future urban road Eixo N-S (on an axis crossing the Lisbon metropolitan area). Lisbon's master plan (PDM - Lisboa), approved in September 1994, identifies Galinheiras as an operational unity of planning and the space where it stands as destined for real estate development.
Galinheiras is a hybrid nucleus; the consequence of disordered, uncontrolled and unplanned urban growth and a lengthy absence of urban planning to coordinate the occupation of the area. It's a place known for its depressed and illegal character, where a proportion of the inhabitants are socially and economically deprived and live in poor conditions. In physical terms, Galinheiras is a space which includes:

Meanwhile, a disordered and peripheral territory has developed, where illegal construction encroaches on the municipal neighbourhoods. This situation has generated a degraded and unwelcoming landscape.
The area's image is problematic, featuring low indices of urban comfort; few collective facilities; few meeting places such as plazas and squares; almost no cultural, leisure and sporting activities; a transport system and road network in poorcondition; creating a scenario with the characteristics to generate spatial fragmentation and social exclusion.

In addition to some interesting urban areas, such as the "villas operárias" (housing for people that works in industrial plants), the space that offers the most potential for the Galinheiras nucleas is the central square. This is not only promising on the architectural level but also on the urbanity and urban experience levels. This square is a focal point, where different axis crosses, diverse activities go on and people from every age, race and culture meet together and socialise. And is right here, close to square, that we find the few existing facilities, exception to the market.
This square shall constitute the link between the diverse urban structures and can be the starting point to sustainable urban planning that unites Galinheiras and the other satellite nuclei around Lisbon and Loures councils, such as Camarate, Frielas, Odivelas and Loures. We believe the answer to the majority of Galinheira's urban problems lies in the development of the square - promoting it, innovating, and joining it with other squares, creating a network of truly urban plazas both in- and outside the LUDA case study area, with each plaza related to an activity or a specific theme, such as music.

Pedro Bento

Migrant workers and illegal buildings

Portugal was a rural country in the 50's. Besides the urban centres of Lisbon and Oporto only some large villages were known. The urban centres were small areas in a space managed by a rural population, comprised between two poles: a minority of manorial families, owners and rich farmers and a large multitude of rural workers, which lived in bad conditions of life, suffering several privations. More than ¾ of the population lived in the country and the national economy depended on it.

Through the 50's and 60's the Portuguese society, stabilizes optioning by a development relied on the industrial activity, whose organisation under the ways of capitalist production and reproduction is mainly concentrated on the western coastal area of the country, namely in the Lisbon's region. Attracted by low salaries the external investment is concentrated there, essentially on the manufacturing industry, creating employment opportunities for the populations of rural zones, which look for better conditions of life in the Lisbon's region. The urban structures were not ready for it and, the suburbs emerge - buildings without any planning as well as shantytowns starts to come out.

In this context, emerges the problem of the illegal buildings present in the Lisbon's LUDA area. With the lack of answers planned for new housing areas and with the inflation of land prices, is in the illegal self - construction that a part of the housing needs finds answers. Large areas of urban surroundings with weak probabilities of urbanisation (weak accessibility, bad topographic or exposure conditions, or even with urban drawbacks) are illegally divided into lots. The high construction is a tendency observable in Quinta da Torrinha and Galinheiras as well as the resource to the excessive occupation of the blocks, through the construction of small dwellings and outbuildings for rent.

If in a first phase these houses were reserved for rural immigrants, the evolution of the city's cycle of life and the characteristics of the Portuguese society permitted the arrival of other occupiers. In the beginning of the 70´s and due to the lack of labour force caused by the emigration (mainly for France), the State encourages the immigration of workers from Cape Verde and from other African colonies. As from 1975 there is an important flux of returnees from the older Portuguese colonies due to questions of insecurity during the processes of independence of these territories, which also look for available locals and which, through rents or illegal self - construction also arrive to the zone of Galinheiras.

With this flux of immigrants an important change into the proportion and composition of the immigration is processed. The foreign population goes from 0,33% in 1960 to 1,10% in 1981. The most important increasing results from the African immigration. In 1960 it was composed by 1,5% of foreigners but in 1981 had already reached the 44%.

With the entry of Portugal into the European Economic Community in 1986, today designated as European Union, we assist to a radical change into our society: instead of exporters we are now importers of labour force. Firstly, are the Africans from Portuguese-speaking countries, which search for work in the Lisbon's region, followed by other African nationalities. Recently, there was an increment of immigrants from countries of the European East (Ukrainians, Moldavians, Romanians, Russians). In April 2002, there were approximately 389 thousands of immigrants registered in Portugal and 91 thousands of them were from countries of the European East. It is estimated that the number of illegal workers is superior to 100 thousands, most of them from Moldavia, Ukraine, Russia and Romania, and also from countries of Portuguese official language, namely from Brazil which nowadays represent the highest number of immigrants arriving to Lisbon.

According to the last census of the Portuguese population, it was verified that 821 individuals of foreign nationality resided in the LUDA 's zone, corresponding to 6% of the total population living in this zone. 65% of these foreigners were from Portuguese -speaking countries (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé e Príncipe and Mozambique) and 9% were Brazilians.

The dwellings of Galinheiras, whose housing conditions are precarious, are nowadays searched by African immigrants, most of them illegal ones. With the development of the LUDA project, the aim is to create the conditions for the restructuring of these areas now illegal ones, looking for promoting their integration into a planned concept of urban design in order to permit a regular functioning of all the urban functions and the necessary change of its image, removing from it the stigma of illegality.

António Bastos

The Economic Structure of LUDA in Lisbon

On average, the economic structure of LUDA area relies on micro enterprises and small businesses dedicated to activities of insignificant added value and which generate, in general, less skilled employment.

In the whole area there were less than 400 enterprises/businesses with open door (shops) identified. The most significant ones are the following:

If there is any specialization in this area, it corresponds to the garages where vehicles are repaired; the remaining activities correspond to commerce of proximity existent in the whole city.

On the other side, many of the businesses developed in LUDA are informal ones because concession taxes for their functioning are not paid and/ or the totality of the taxes that shops should be submitted are not also paid (a problem which is much more national than local).

This characteristic permits to these activities reduce their prices. Indeed, they will be, temporarily, the leaders of the market, but this competitiveness will not last in a long- term. As regards employment, two questions must be referred: Firstly, the LUDA zone cannot be considered an area for employment opportunities, neither in terms of quantity nor in terms of quality. Secondly, as far as concerns the qualifications and conditions of the residents' work, we verify two very distinct situations:

On one side, the Calçada de Carriche, Lavadeiras and the historic core of Ameixoeira, in which the structure of the qualifications is much more superior to the city's average. In this area commerce and services are relatively developed, nevertheless in terms of public space there is a lack of a group intervention, because not only we are speaking of an old population but also of an old space.

On the other side, in the Galinheiras/Torrinha area the qualifications level is inferior to the city's average, the unemployment rate is superior and the traditional commerce, survives thanks to the low rents and situations of illegality.

Ana Pinheiro Costa

Informal Economy in LUDA

Around 20% of the Portuguese economy is composed by informal and / or illegal activities, in other words by parallel economy. This question was the main problem observed in the justification for the differential of productivity facing the European average.

There is no doubt that a relative tolerance facing these activities must be taken into consideration because many of them can be embryos of micro- enterprises contributing, in this way, to business-related dynamics so important nowadays, on the other side, the parallel economy introduces serious distortions in the competitiveness among economic agents, besides the deviations of the resources from the public sphere to the private sphere of the economy.

In the LUDA zone the existence of many illegal economic activities are pointed out, such as the garages, where vehicles are repaired. This activity does not require, in its essence, high academic qualifications but a lot of work experience. And if the "enterprise" does not pay the taxes or the social contribution, and is located inside the city, it can be an interesting alternative for some customers. The State must intervene near these situations promoting its passage for a legal situation. Nevertheless, as is known, an immediate passage, without a transition period can result into the closing of the business.

The true is that some of these businesses will surely close due to the lack of efficiency to operate in conditions of competitiveness. Nevertheless, other businesses with economic conditions can be developed because they absorb less skilled but specialised workers, which would not find immediately work in other sectors.

In conclusion, when a business has chances of being developed in competitiveness terms, Lisbon City Council and the Inland Revenue Department might to develop a programme in order to support the legalization, namely with a system of progressive payments supporting the workers' training and/or the contract of new collaborators with more interesting qualifications for the enterprise. When there is no conditions for the business succeed, due to the lack of efficiency, the unemployment will emerge.

The establishing of electromechanical services of Lisbon City Council in the LUDA area, which is still in progress, might absorb this unemployment. We should take advantage of these specialized but less skilled workers, giving preference to the residents of LUDA.

Ana Pinheiro Costa

Traditional Commerce of Low Rents: Impact of the new Lease Act

In order to clear up a swampy situation, which has induced to serious perversions in the economic system, in particular in the real estate market, a new lease act was proposed.

The freezing of the housing rents and commerce happened after the World War whose aim was to protect the leaseholders from inflating processes. This measure was never removed, which caused, through several decades, an increasing distortion of prices and conditions. One of the situations, which resulted from this problem, was the maintaining of the spaces of commerce and services, stagnated in time, paying very low rents, without any competitive pressure to be modernised or obtain gains of efficiency. The result it is visible, owners receiving very low rents, which are not enough to pay the preservation of these spaces and owners impeded from searching other leaseholders capable of paying a market rent. On the other hand, in order to change the "rules of the game" but without changing the ancient rents, a different legal setting for the rents after 1980 was introduced in recent years. Thus, today, it is usual to find shops of very low rents, side by side, with shops of very high rents. This situation weakens the healthy economic development of businesses due to an unfair competition.

A new Lease Act was recently proposed, looking for within 10 years regularise the majority of these situations and be in line with the market rules. Thus, in a medium- term, an in-depth change of the economic activity will emerge on the visible face of that activity - shops, offices, factories, etc. The role of Lisbon City Council in this changing period will be to identify those activities, which as part of the city's identity have a public and strategic interest to maintain, namely through specific supports in the deficiencies found.

Ana Pinheiro Costa

Informal Real Estate

In the 70's, Portugal was in a complicated situation with no comparison with other countries, which resulted in a conjugation of different problems:

The lack of housing supply, not only in quantity but also in the desired time, led to a very complex result: thousands of shanties were built in the urban centres; several suburbs of low quality emerged without any planning, sanitation or facilities; unemployment increased, finding, afterwards, an answer, in informal situations or in public employment.

In the sight of this rapid phenomenon and due to the lack of an economic and structured policy, the State ended by shutting one's eyes to these situations, "permitting" the execution of constructions in these conditions, but keeping them in the illegality. Only later, the legalization problems started, and, today, there are still many situations to clear up. Illegality separates owners and leaseholders from the whole system: transaction of real estates, tax deductions, right to defence in cases of nonfulfilment of the contract, in conclusion the impossibility of an effective participation in the city.

The LUDA programme will contemplate a legalization process of the existing real estates, which guarantee the minimum of quality and of housing conditions. On the contrary the demolition will be the only solution. Besides of this selection, a regulation to change some districts of LUDA, namely at the level of the facades will be implemented, looking for a coherence in its all.

Ana Pinheiro Costa

A strategy of economic development in LUDA

The urban competitiveness results from a set of city's capacities, which permits them to have a specific but never safeguarded place in the worldwide cities' network. A competitive city not only is an indicator of performance but mainly a purpose for improving the quality of life of a population.

Nowadays, we know the urban competitiveness relies on multiple factors such as the balance of the urban network where is inserted or the internal and efficient organisation of the city, in terms of transport networks, services sophistication or human resources quality, among many other factors. There is no doubt that is absolutely decisive the existence of a clear and consensual strategy, of long-term, participated by the citizens and looking for an innovative direction. Finally, the existence of disparities, social exclusion, insecurity and the lack of trust, weaken the urban competitiveness.

These ideas are the basis of the Music Strategy for LUDA zone. Actually, this is a long-term strategy, which not only aims a structural transformation, looking for solving the main problems of the resident people, but also an improvement of the conditions and quality of life of the whole city. In the heart of the strategy we have an educational and social project, of empowerment of the population through the learning of music, being possible to perceive the multiplier effects that such learning might have on the other areas of life. In order to this strategy finds its self-sustainability in time it is necessary to develop activities of economic characteristic. Therefore, the creation of economic activities must be carried out - commerce, services, production of instruments, facilities and accessories of music - in a cluster connected with music.

To carry out this strategy a structure must be created in order to gather technicians and researchers in the field of music as well as entrepreneurs with experience in that area and financial, educational and training institutions. From these reunion new ideas, new businesses and a complex network activity with a significant added value must emerge, launching a virtuous process as regards the creation of new work forces and new enterprises of more innovative and competitive tendencies.

Ana Pinheiro Costa

Project Director: Professor Bernhard Mueller

Weberplatz 1
01217 Dresden (Germany)

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Editorial staff
Dr. Carlos Smaniotto Costa
Christiane Westphal
Patrycja Bielawska - Roepke
Leander Kuettner

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