Last updated: August 2024
The renovation of the "Marechal Humberto Delgado" Square focused on transforming the area into a more pedestrian-friendly and sustainable urban space. The project included reorganising the traffic system, creating a new urban green square, requalifying the bus terminal, enhancing the integration of different transport modes and improving pedestrian access (Ref 1). Key features of the intervention were the introduction of cycle paths, wider sidewalks, green spaces with 200 new trees, and recreational facilities such as a children's playground and water features (Ref 2). The project also addressed critical infrastructural needs, including constructing a rainwater collector as part of Lisbon's General Drainage Plan to mitigate the city's frequent flooding issues (Ref 3). The renovation, completed in 2024, was part of the 'A Square in Every Neighborhood' program, emphasizing community involvement and sustainable urban development (Ref 3).
Praça Marechal Humberto Delgado
https://informacao.lisboa.pt/noticias/detalhe/praca-de-sete-rios-tem-mais-espaco-para-passear
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Green areas for water management
- Other
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social cohesion
- Social interaction
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Urban flooding (stormwater)
- Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Insecurity in public spaces
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces
Project objectives
1. Integrating road infrastructure by incorporating the road viaduct into the urban fabric (Ref 1).
2. Prioritize public transport, cyclists, and pedestrians through improved traffic systems and cycle paths (Ref 1, Ref 2).
3. Develop a new, pedestrian-friendly urban square (Ref 1, Ref 3).
4. Increase greenery with around 200 new trees (Ref 2, Ref 3).
5. Improving Pedestrian Access (Ref 1, Ref 3).
6. Maximize non-sealed areas and enhance public lighting (Ref 1).
7. Build a rainwater collector to reduce flooding risks (Ref 2, Ref 3).
8. Provide several recreation and leisure spaces (Ref. 3).
9. Promote the use and enjoyment of public spaces by the community, encouraging their collective use and contributing to developing a culture of social coexistence in public spaces (Ref. 4)
Implementation activities
1. Bus Terminal Upgrade: Improved functionality and integration with other transport modes (Ref 1).
2. Traffic Reorganization: Added bus lanes and enhanced pedestrian crossings for safety (Ref 1).
3. Cycle Paths: Introduced new cycle paths and a shared bike station (Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3).
4. Pedestrian Route Improvements: Shortened and upgraded pedestrian paths (Ref 1).
5. Green Space Expansion: Planted around 200 trees and increased green areas (Ref 2, Ref 3).
6. Recreational Facilities: Added a playground and water features (Ref 2, Ref 3).
7. Non-Sealed Areas: Increased permeable surfaces to reduce runoff (Ref 1).
8. Public Lighting: Installed a coherent lighting system for safety (Ref 1).
9. Rainwater Collector: Built to reduce flooding risks (Ref 2, Ref 3).
10. Stakeholder participation: Residents of the parish made contributions to the project, with the active promotion of clarification and suggestion sessions with residents organised by the municipality (Ref. 3).
The project improves pedestrian safety and accessibility by reorganizing traffic, adding cycle paths, and shortening pedestrian routes, while also enhancing environmental sustainability (Ref. 1-4)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
- Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Deliberative decision-making processes (e.g., consensus building, deliberative polling)
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Lisbon City Council (CML): Led the project, overseeing planning, funding, and implementation, including infrastructure improvements and green space expansion (Ref 1, Ref 2).
São Domingos de Benfica Parish Council: Participated in project planning and engaged with local residents through information sessions, contributing to design adjustments based on community feedback (Ref 3).
Mayor of Lisbon (Carlos Moedas): Advocated for the project and highlighted its importance for urban sustainability and climate adaptation (Ref 3).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(The installed drainage infrastructure is part of Lisbon's General Drainage Plan. (Ref 2) )
Type of enablers
Technological innovations, Change agents (individual with major role influence on launching), Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Expected strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Water management and blue areas
- Increased protection against flooding
- Expected increased protection against flooding
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- Expected improved social cohesion
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Expected increased opportunities for social interaction
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Safety
- Increased perception of safety
- Expected increased perception of safety
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Lisbon Municipality (n.d.). MARSHAL HUMBERTO DELGADO SQUARE (SETE RIOS). Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Lisbon Municipality (2024). sete-rios-square-has-more-space-to-walk-around-information-lisbon_0.pdf. Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Olhares (2024). Praça Marechal Humberto Delgado com mais espaço para os peões. Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Lisbon Municipality (2015). Requalificação do Espaço Público Praça Marechal Humberto Delgado – Sete Rios. Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Lisbon Municipality (n.d.). NOVA PRAÇA MARECHAL HUMBERTO DELGADO. Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link];
Praça Marechal Humberto Delgado, playground
Ref. 3
Praça Marechal Humberto Delgado
Ref. 3
Praça Marechal Humberto Delgado
Ref. 4
Plan of Praça Marechal Humberto Delgado
https://jf-sdomingosbenfica.pt/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/flyer-nova-praca-marechal-humberto-delgado.pdf
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.