How can Lisbon avoid ending up like Barcelona?

 In News, Original

National and international researchers, specialists and influencers will debate and reflect on the impact that tourism and real estate development has had on Lisbon in recent years.

The event Pensar Lisboa II (Thinking about Lisbon II) organised by property and development project management specialists Essentia will beg the question: “What kind of city do we want?”
The impact of the real estate market and tourism on Lisbon is a ‘hot’ topic at present. The consequences of an increasingly dynamic sector which is redefining the image of the Portuguese capital has been the subject of debates and discussions in all sections of society.
Essentia, whose role in this area has been of relevance because of the projects that it is developing in various historic buildings in the city, has organised this debate which will take place on August 27 at its Lisbon office.
Essentia CEO and founder José Gil Duarte will join Vera Gouveia Barros, Economist and author of “Tourism in Portugal,” Samuel Torres de Carvalho, Founder & CEO of STC – Arquitectura, Gonçalo Antunes, Professor and Researcher at NOVA – FCSHI and at ESEIMU, Pablo Fernández – Valdés, Founder & CEO of Green Shoes Consulting and Pedro Ressano Garcia, architect, professor and researcher.
Among the topics to be debated will be issues such as: Which area of expansion in Lisbon are for the Portuguese middle class? How to ease the upward pressure on prices in historic areas. The trend in property price speculation from the city centre to the outskirts. Is tourism demand taking housing supply away from locals? Can recently approved measures for the New Generation of Housing Policies put in practice by Lisbon City Council relieve the problem? as well as the ‘Barcelona Case A’ – The experience of a Barcelona developer and Opportunities for adapting to climate change in Lisbon.
José Gill Duarte says that these issues are vital to address the challenges that a dynamic and multicultural city like Lisbon faces.
“The construction of a building has a huge impact on the natural environment, on the economy and on society and in the productivity of its users. These impacts last throughout the lifecycle of the building, from its conception, construction, operation, demolition or refurbishment”.