A lifelong neighbourhood: Alvalade in Lisbon, Portugal

Alvalade urban plan was designed in the mid 1940’s by João Guilherme Faria da Costa, for the expansion of Lisbon, towards North, in a period of strong demographic growth in Portugal (CML, 1948). It was an answer to housing shortage in the city, for different social classes, sheltering some lower income families who were displaced from the smooth spaces of the old city centre, as well as the fastgrowing middle class and new inhabitants who  ed to the city from the countryside, into this new suburban area where new striated spaces would be created in a modernist spatial language, based on the neighbourhood unit concept which has embedded clear semiotic concepts such as limits and thresholds, promoting identi  cation and sense of belonging. By then, in the middle of the 20th century, Portugal had a young and growing population for which new and modernist housing solutions were designed, making Alvalade district, a successful modernist urban laboratory. The best proof of its success is that time passed by and half a century later, at dawn of the new millennium, Alvalade became a NORC- Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (Hunt & Gunter-Hunt, 1986): its initial population aged in place. The modernist habitat is now inhabited by older people who are no longer the stylish MOD inhabitants envisioned by modernist architects in the 50’s, but rather the aged retirees, dependent on the social welfare system, whose daily lives are soothed by the overall quality of urban space and generous public facilities network. That is one of the main points of this article: an urban area with plenty of public facilities makes it easier to age in place and therefore avoid institutionalization with its associated costs, thus becoming a valuable asset in terms of welfare policies. Besides, all the public investment in creating the network of facilities is already done, thereby keeping in place the older generations also means making sure they will use these facilities and keep them economically viable, in the frame of an ageing society. Taking into consideration the World Health Organization concepts of active ageing and age-friendly cities, we propose to address a new way of designing the new normal: spaces designed for everybody, but having the most fragile citizens in mind, so that when time comes for citizens to experience special needs, the existing spaces and facilities will naturally provide the required solution without extra costs. Alvalade district is undergoing a double pressure at present: it is one of the most aged areas in Lisbon, which requires urgent responses to help its residents to age in place by introducing new solutions and, on the other hand, Alvalade is one of the most sought-after residential areas by newcomers due to its central location and excellent provision of public facilities. This means that the excellent modernist spaces of Alvalade are undergoing a refurbishing pressure both for older residents and for newcomers under 21st century standards of living. It deserves to be a case study of high-quality in city living, just like it was at its inception days.