Last updated: March 2025
The "Há Vida no Meu Bairro" project is an innovative urban initiative led by the Lisbon City Council aimed at transforming the city into a "15-minute city." This concept ensures that all essential urban functions, such as commerce, green spaces, education, sports, culture, health, and social support, are within a 15-minute walk from residents' homes. The project promotes neighbourhood identity, quality of life, active mobility, and the development of safer, more comfortable public spaces. By integrating these elements, the initiative seeks to create multifunctional neighbourhoods where daily needs can be met locally, reducing dependence on cars and enhancing pedestrian accessibility (Ref 1). Lisbon's approach is both city-wide and neighbourhood-specific, with pilot projects being developed in collaboration with the city's 24 parishes. These projects focus on improving public spaces and pedestrian mobility, reinforcing the city's commitment to sustainability and community engagement (Ref 2). The initiative also emphasizes the importance of public participation, encouraging residents to contribute to the design and development of their neighbourhoods and enhancement of local identity and green spaces (Ref 3).
15mins City
Lisbon Photography For People
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
- Environmental and climate justice
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Loss of sense of place and identity
Key priorities
Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces, Strategy, plan or policy development, Creation of city-wide or neighborhood climate adaptation or mitigation strategies/programs, Creation of city-wide or neighborhood green and blue infrastrcuture protection or enhancement strategies/plans
Project objectives
1. Promoting Active Mobility: The project aims to enhance pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, making it easier and safer for residents to move within their neighbourhoods without relying on cars (Ref 4).
2. Improving Access to Green Spaces: A core objective is to ensure that all neighbourhoods have accessible green spaces within a short walking distance, which is crucial for environmental sustainability and residents' well-being (Ref 4).
3. Enhancing Neighbourhood Identity and Social Cohesion: By improving the quality of public spaces and creating more green areas, the project seeks to strengthen the sense of community and neighbourhood identity, fostering social interactions and cultural diversity (Ref 4).
4. Addressing Urban Inequalities: The initiative focuses on reducing disparities in access to essential services and public spaces, ensuring that all neighbourhoods, especially those previously underserved, receive equitable attention and development (LPP / Lisboa Para Pessoas).
Implementation activities
- The city has initiated pilot projects in each of the 24 parishes to tailor interventions to local needs, focusing on enhancing public spaces, promoting active mobility, and improving access to green spaces (Ref 1).
- Public Space Interventions: creating pedestrian-friendly paths, improving sidewalks, and redesigning streets to encourage walking and cycling (Ref 2).
- The creation and enhancement of green spaces within neighbourhoods, including parks and community gardens, to provide residents with accessible natural environments (Ref 1, Ref 2).
- Ensure active participation of local communities is encouraged through public consultations, workshops, and feedback sessions, ensuring that the interventions meet the residents' needs and enhance neighbourhood identity (Ref 3).
By enhancing green spaces, the project improves environmental quality and residents’ mental and physical well-being. The promotion of active mobility reduces reliance on cars, addressing traffic congestion and pollution. Community engagement ensures that the interventions are culturally and socially appropriate, fostering stronger community ties and ensuring long-term sustainability. These activities tackle the urban challenges of accessibility, environmental degradation, and social inequality in Lisbon (Ref 1, Ref 2, Ref 3).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover)
- Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project is governed by the Lisbon City Council in collaboration with local parish councils, academic institutions, and the community. (Ref 1)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Yes
(The project implements the "15-minute city" concept which aligns with the Lisbon Municipal Master Plan's goals for sustainable urban development, improved public spaces, and self-sufficient neighbourhoods. (Ref 1))
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
Capacity-building projects
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Expected increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
Economic impacts
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- Expected improved social cohesion
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.
Alemão, S. (2023). Lisbon wants to create “neighborhood life” on a central street in each parish in the city. Publico, Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Lisbon Municipality (n.d.). “Há Vida no meu Bairro” aproxima Lisboa da “cidade dos 15 minutos”. Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Imobiliario (2023). “Lisbon of Neighborhoods” wants to become a “15-minute city”. Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link];
4.
André, M. (2023). Lisbon is discreetly developing a “15-minute city” project. LLP, Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Lisbon Municipality (2023). A "cidade dos 15 minutos" pensada por quem a vive. Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Banza, M. (n.d.). 15 Minute City. Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link];
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.