Lisbon, Lisboa (FUA), Portugal
City population: 2679729
Duration: unknown – 2012
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Project area: 510000 m2
Type of area: Natural Heritage Area/Untouched nature
Last updated: October 2021

In 2012, the City of Lisbon has implemented a 2,5 km green corridor connecting Monsanto Forest Park ( 900ha) and the city centre through Eduardo VII Park. (1) It is a concept of continuous natural structure, consisting of a coordinated set of green spaces that intend to continuously bring the natural space to the interior of the city (ref.3) This corridor is a fundamental part of the Ecological Structure, a matrix formed and articulated by systems: the Mobility System, the Water and Air Circulation System, the Fluvial-Estuarine Transition System and the Structural Ecological Units System.

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests
  • Green corridors and green belts

Key challenges

  • Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Flood protection
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Environmental quality
  • Air quality improvement
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Environmental and climate justice
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
  • Tourism support
  • Real estate development
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Preservation of natural heritage

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Protection of natural ecosystems

Project objectives

1) Improve the quality of life in the city by solving urban challenges such as heat island effect, floods, air pollution and unequal distribution of green spaces; 2) Enhancing city attractiveness by offering recreation and healthy lifestyle spaces; 3) Regulating air quality; 4) Increasing property value; 5) Creating and improving ecosystems and connections (ref.1).

Implementation activities

From South to North, the Monsanto Green Corridor is made up of the following units: Avenida da Liberdade; Eduardo VII Park; Jardim Amália Rodrigues (Alto do Parque); Ciclopedonal Bridge over Marquês da Fronteira Street (inaugurated in 2012); By a zone of meadow next to the Palace of Justice with about 1ha of meadow biodiversity of dry land; Park of skateboards; Two fitness areas; Viewpoints; Ciclopedonal Bridge "Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles"; Gardens of Amnesty International; Horticultural Park Jardins de Campolide; Infantile and Juvenile Playground, and the José Pinto Quinta Urban Park; All connected via a pedestrian and cycling connection. In specific areas, biodiverse extensive meadows were created instead of lawns. These offer a greater diversity of species, making the green area more balanced and requiring less water and fewer nitrogen fertilizers to maintain it. (Ref.1, and 3)

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

  • Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups
  • Young people and children

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Unknown

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The Municipality of Lisbon initiated and implemented this NBS in the context of its Master Development Plan. The plan sets out guidelines and objectives for specific planning and local development. In particular, the municipal ecological structure takes into account ecological principles and the importance of preserving natural, forest, agricultural and cultural heritage. (Ref.1)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (1)The Lisbon Master development plan approved in 2012 constitutes the territorial base and the macro-program for the Lisbon green structure (ref.7). 2) MUNICIPAL STRATEGY FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE OF LISBON 2016 (ESTRATÉGIA MUNICIPAL DE ADAPTAÇÃO ÀS ALTERAÇÕES CLIMÁTICAS DE LISBOA) (ref.8) 3) Biodiversity 2020 Strategy - Biodiversidade na Cidade de Lisboa. Uma Estratégia para 2020 (ref.1))

Financing

Total cost

€50,000 - €100,000

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
  • Lowered local temperature
  • Environmental quality
  • Improved air quality
  • Reduced noise exposure
  • Water management and blue areas
  • Increased protection against flooding
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased number of protection areas
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Fair distribution of social, environmental and economic benefits of the NBS project
  • Improved liveability
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Protection of natural heritage
  • Education
  • Increased support for education and scientific research

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts, Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

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

References

(1) ConnectingNature (no date), Lisbon: Nature-based Solutions (NBS) Enhancing Resilience through Urban Regeneration, Available at Source link (Accessed 21-6-2020).
(2) Oliveira, S., Andrade, H., Vaz, T., 2011. The cooling effect of green spaces as a contribution to the mitigation of urban heat: A case study in Lisbon. Build. Environ. 46, 2186–2194. doi:10.1016/j.Source link (Accessed 21-6-2020)
(3) Sítio da Câmara Municipal de Lisboa (2012) , Corredores Verdes, Available at Source link (Accessed 21-6-2020)
(4) Publico (2012), Corredor Verde de Monsanto finalizado três décadas depois, Available at Source link (Accessed 21-6-2020)
(5) CCDRLVT (2016), Plano Regional de Ordenamento do Território da Área Metropolitana de Lisboa, Available at Source link (Accessed 21-6-2020)
(6) Sítio da Câmara Municipal de Lisboa: PLANO DE AÇÃO LOCAL (Website not available in 2020)
﷟HYPERLINK "Source link Sítio da Câmara Municipal de Lisboa: CORREDORES VERDES (Website not available in 2020)
(8) Camara Municipal de Lisboa (2016), ESTRATÉGIA MUNICIPAL DE ADAPTAÇÃO ÀS ALTERAÇÕES CLIMÁTICAS DE LISBOA, Available at Source link (Accessed 21-6-2020)
(9) Santos, A. et al (2015), Lisbon, Portugal : Case Study City Portrait part of a GREEN SURGE study on urban green infrastructure planning and governance in 20 European cities Available at Source link (Accessed 21-6-2020) Source link
(10) Municipality of Lisbon (2016), A STRATEGY FOR BIODIVERSITY, THE LISBON CASE, Available at Source link (Accessed 21-6-2020)
(11) Vodafone (2012), Press release: Monsanto green corridor, Available at Source link, (Accessed 27-7-2020)