Housing policies in Lisbon: from Monarchy to Democracy

Housing policies enacted in the last two centuries have indelibly shaped Portuguese cities, and it is possible to find neighbourhoods developed directly or indirectly by the State all over the country.

Observing the case of Lisbon is particularly interesting, insofar as it is representative of the country as a whole, in the sense that the measures implemented in the capital were often pioneering and influenced the rest of the country.

Promoted by the Lisbon Municipal Archive, the exhibition Housing Policies in Lisbon: from Monarchy to Democracy presents the urban results of housing policies in the city, highlighting the practical and conceptual differences of the various policies enacted over the last 200 years, particularly with regard to architectural options, morphology, urban design, residents and location.

The exhibition uncovers a rich and varied history of housing in Lisbon and shows how interventions promoted by public and semi-public entities have contributed to the construction of the current urban landscape.

To provide visitors with a correct temporal reading of the housing policies, the exhibition is divided by political regimes (Constitutional Monarchy, First Republic, Military Dictatorship, Estado Novo and Democratic Portugal). The aim is to create a discourse based on photographs, plans, distribution maps and models that will encourage reflection on the evolution of housing policies in the city.

 

Image
© Lisbon Municipal Archive
Project of the first social neighbourhood in Lisbon (Arco do Cego), general view, designed by architects Adães Bermudes, Edmundo Tavares and Frederico Caetano de Carvalho
1919