- Recent Interventions in the Collective Space of Lisbon: Spatial Configuration and Human Activities in a Lisbon Central Area    503 kb by    Caria, Fernando & Serdoura, Francisco & Ferreira, Victor | victor@fa.utl.pt    Short Outline The case study will focus on aspects that define the public life of citizens in the ''Avenidas Novas'' area of Lisbon: the urban spatial configuration and land use, the registered movement patterns, and the human activities happening in the collective space (behaviors). Abstract Over the last decade, appeared in the central area of Lisbon called “Avenidas Novas”, some real-estate developments that introduced a new dynamic in the urban structure, namely in the public urban space. These real-estate developments privileged the construction of public space as a generative element of built spaces (buildings), whom by their functional and environmental attributes and physical quality, became decisive in the existence of public life in the areas they are located. The work assesses, in one hand, a set of physical, functional and environmental problems that are still observed in the collective urban space of that central area of the city: where resident and floating populations don’t have at their disposal a network of exterior spaces with the capacity of enabling healthy social relations, on the other hand, the fact that the citizens of the city see the new public spaces created, as an invitation to the development of collective urban life. Those spaces appear as the modern leisure and recreation spaces of that central area of the city. The importance of these areas goes beyond the simple aesthetical appeal of space. Today, the Lisbon inhabitants use that public space as a place of reunion and recreation. We will focus on aspects that define the public life of citizens: the urban spatial configuration, the urban usage, the registered movement patterns, and the human activities happening in the collective space (behaviors). For accomplishing that, we’ll make use of space syntax tools and methods, the movement patterns of people observed and recorded in the studied area, and the urban and human activities, mapped in the area. We will be trying to find out at the same time the global pattern of movement in the city. What makes it interesting for participants? The case study records patterns of use of public space in a central area, tracking gender, age group, and observed activities occurring, and the global pattern of movement of area users, in the city. Keywords Configuration Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2003: Planning in a more globalized World   Click to open the full paper as pdf document   Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper