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The chapters on this book were originally published in Urban Research and Practice, vol. 4, issue 3 (November 2011).

This text frames a reflection upon the recent evolution on the sociopolitical and governance landscapes in urban Southern Europe. A global analysis of urban/metropolitan geographical and political tendencies is here made, from the most recent economic crisis and austerity politics years, towards expected future perspectives. The example of Lisbon metropolitan Area is exposed as a concrete case to show the pressures and the induced (and deduced) changes presently at stake. The analysis is set out on three different parts: a general reflection upon urban paradigm shifts and it's still quite relevant unbalances and misunderstandings; an overall southern European geographical and political urban analytical perspective; and a proposed systematization of consequent political as well as research development needs. The text concludes with a systematized proposal of main diagnosis vectors, as well of possible main drivers and focuses for present and future southern European urban sociopolitical analysis.

In the city, the reconfigurations - empirical and theoretical - about conceptualizations and figurations of governance and political and social influence (such as political communities, socio-territorial actors, or even the processes and relational dynamics of influence and of taking have steadily accentuated the debates, discourses and even the operatives around the concepts of urban governance and social capital. It will obviously be of an axiomatic nature the interconnection between the two, and between the respective valuation elements. Especially when the natural and desired urban complexity places them-and their hypothetical consolidation-in the face of a vast and cross-series of uncertainties, risks, and expectations. ; Na cidade, as reconfigurações- empíricas e teóricas- em tomo de conceptualizações e figurações de governação e de influência política e social (tais como as comunidades políticas, os actores socio-territoriais, ou mesmo os próprios processos e dinâmicas relacionais de influência e de tomada de decisão) têm constantemente acentuado os debates, os discursos e mesmo as operacionalidades em torno dos conceitos de governança urbana e de capital social. Será obviamente de carácter axiomático a interligação entre ambos, e entre os respectivos elementos de valoração. Especialmente quando a natural e desejada complexidade urbana, os coloca- e à sua hipotética consolidação- perante uma vasta e cruzada série de incertezas, de riscos, e também de expectativas.

This text poses as a proposal of conceptual reflection the new possible systems of governance of the western city that appear in this beginning of century. In order to contribute to a greater analytical clarity - and even prospective - in the face of the challenges facing the city today, questions arise that propose combining what is known as the city-system and the governance system of City. We suggest a conceptual and analytical opening on three fronts: the perspective of a greater sociocultural and institutional manifestation of the political attitudes in the city; strengthening the latter's capacity for understanding; the centralization of the concept of governance as a systemic concept and integral to the different dimensions and values of socio-political action. ; Este texto coloca-se como uma proposta de reflexão conceptual em torno dos possíveis novos sistemas de governação da cidade ocidental que surjam neste início de século. Procurando contribuir para uma maior clareza analítica - e mesmo prospectiva - perante os desafios com que a governação da cidade de hoje se depara, levantam-se questionamentos que propõem uma perspectiva de conjugação entre o que se denomina de sistema-cidade e sistema de governação de cidade. Sugere-se uma abertura conceptual e analítica em três frentes: a perspectiva de uma maior manifestação sociocultural e institucional das atitudes políticas na cidade; um reforço das capacidades de entendimento desta; a centralização do conceito de governação como conceito sistémico e integrante das diferentes dimensões e valores de acção sociopolítica.

The advent of a new paradigm of informational and cultural representation (after two centuries of development and crystallization of the industrial, and therefore social, paradigm) has caused significant mutations in society and the planet. Such mutations, confronting long-established socio-political systems and structures, carry with them states of great discomfort and even manifest crisis in multiple systems of governance. The difficulty reaction from institutions has even been reciprocated (intentionally or not) by multiple appropriations of the public action. At the same time, however, a series of new social and political opportunities emerge. The new paradigm, strongly based on the composition and production of informational and cultural structures, is particularly evident in cities, once again the mainstay of civilizational evolution. With this background, a state-of-the-art picture of the contemporary city (namely, the contemporary European city) is systematized by seven points: position, competitiveness, imagery, physical expression, personality, restlessness and hope. Through these seven points, the proposals are aimed at developing (also new) regulatory structures, but especially structures of (socio-political) action of a more collective sense, given the new realities and new challenges. ; O advento de um novo paradigma de representação informacional e cultural (após dois séculos de desenvolvimento e de cristalização do paradigma industrial, e por conseguinte social) tem provocado significativas mutações na sociedade e no planeta. Tais mutações, confrontando sistemas e estruturas socio-políticas demoradamente consolidadas, transportam consigo estados de grande desconforto e mesmo de manifesta crise em múltiplos sistemas de governação. A dificuldade de reacção por parte das instituições tem sido inclusive correspondida (com ou sem propósito) por múltiplas apropriações da acção pública. Ao mesmo tempo, porém, surgem uma série de novas oportunidades sociais e políticas. O novo paradigma, fortemente ...

Given the current political and institutional crossroads of the metropolis of Lisbon, there is a need for new (and urgent) approaches, as well as corresponding actions. The understanding of these approaches calls for a dynamic perspective, in the understanding and management before the perceptions and the strategies of the different actors, and the consequent processes of urban change. From this perspective, an inductive research is suggested, questioning the actors on the main urban governance challenges that arise, after an analysis of the metropolitan challenges themselves. A corresponding critical analysis seeks to clarify the main areas of reflection, and suggests levels for further research. ; Perante a presente situação de encruzilhada político-institucional da metrópole de Lisboa, surge a necessidade de novos (e urgentes) enfoques, bem como correspondentes acções. O entendimento destes enfoques apela para uma perspectiva dinâmica, na compreensão e gestão perante as percepções e as estratégias dos diferentes actores, e os consequentes processos de mudança urbana. Nesta perspectiva, sugere-se uma investigação de carácter indutivo, questionando os actores sobre os principais desafios de governância urbana que se colocam, após uma análise sobre os próprios desafios metropolitanos. Uma correspondente análise crítica procura clarificar as principais áreas de reflexão, e sugere níveis de aprofundamento.

Difficult and diffuse perceptions of the great city, in the most varied sectors of society, have rendered increasingly complex exercise of sustainable management and regulation of these urban territories. However, major changes in the political, institutional and administrative systems have not been witnessed in practice. The "royal city" continues its journey away from the "legal city." The most recent lines of thought about urban policies point us to interesting paths towards a more pluralistic, efficient and visionary urban governance, recognizing that as well as in the diversity that creativity and dynamics develop. While state institutions, at different levels, should play a pivotal role in catalysing cultural motivation in this sense, the current executive, political and normative frameworks still do not seem very enthusiastic. But faced with the urgencies of action, tensions and expectations will occur in the urban scenario of multiple actors and influences. Consequently, this role of raising awareness, by political pressure, of many "non-visible" dimensions in the city was highly competitive with civil movements. Also, strengthening urban identities and representations is essential. Culture alone can fill the "no man's land" between institutional immobility and social unresponsibility. ; Perante difíceis e difusas percepções da grande cidade, nos mais variados sectores da sociedade, tem-se tornado cada vez mais complexo exercício de uma gestão e regulação sustentáveis destes territ6rios urbanos. Porem, não se tem assistido na prática a grandes alterações nos sistemas político, institucional e administrativo. A "cidade real" prossegue o seu caminho de afastamento da "cidade legal". As mais recentes linhas de pensamento ao nível das políticas urbanas apontam-nos interessantes caminhos no sentido de uma governação urbana mais plural, eficiente e visionária, reconhecendo que e também na diversidade que a criatividade e as dinâmicas se desenvolvem. Se as instituições do Estado, nos seus diferentes níveis ...

Cover -- Contents -- List of Figures, Maps and Tables -- Notes on Contributors -- Introduction -- 1 The Improbable Metropolis: Decentralisation and Local Democracy Against Metropolitan Areas in the Western World -- 2 The Institutional Dimension to Urban Governance and Territorial Management in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area -- 3 Competitiveness and Cohesion: Urban Government and Governance's Strains of Italian Cities -- 4 Urban Governance and the 'Profiles' of Southern Italy Cities -- 5 The Challenges of Urban Renewal: 10 Lessons from the Catalan Experience -- 6 Cities and Urban and Metropolitan Regions in Spain: A New Agenda in a Global Context -- 7 The Governance of French Towns: From the Centre-Periphery Scheme to Urban Regimes -- 8 Integrated Urban Interventions in Greece: Local Relational Realities Unsettled -- 9 A City Hall for the Competitive City: Urban Management and Urban Governance in Slovenia -- 10 Urban Governance in Istanbul -- 11 Urban Governance in the South of Europe: Cultural Identities and Global Dilemmas -- Index.

This volume examines the issues of urban governance in the Southern European context. Illustrated by case studies of several main cities and metropoles on the North Mediterranean coast, it introduces and critically analyses the latest theories and approaches to urban governance. It questions how the 'real' or socio-cultural notion of city seems to have been separated from that of the 'political' city and explores how more integrated socio-political forms might be developed. It looks at current structures, dynamics and cultures of governance in urban development and questions whether they are w.

UIDB/04647/2020 UIDP/04647/2020 ; This article presents a preliminary analysis on the evolutionary framework for new types of in-tersections, dialogues and conflicts between urban administration and civic movements in Por-tugal. The analysis is here based on two case studies developed around urban requalification processes in two central public spaces, in the cities of Lisbon – the Martim Moniz Square – and Aveiro – the Rossio Garden. In these cases, the conflicts and the interconnections between local authorities and social movements have been evolving in very interesting forms. Expressing not only relevant changes occurring on urban civic movements themselves, but also an inevitable although still quite limited and visibly thwarted political culture reconfiguration on urban gov-ernments and its administration. ; publishersversion ; published

This paper focuses on the influence that residential markets and their most recent dynamics have on the cohesion or socio-spatial segregation trends in the Lisbon metropolitan system. The paper is divided into four parts. The first part presents in a resumed form, the main defining elements for Lisbon urban development in this decade of 2010, where the effects of the economic crisis combined with global socioeconomic and technological changes. The second part exposes the components that marked the most recent evolution of the real estate and housing markets in Portugal and particularly in the metropolis of Lisbon. The third describes how such changes have put severe pressures on household's financial capacities; an analysis mostly based on the 2016-2018 evolution of the house price to income ratios, both for purchase and renting situations, in the municipalities of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The final part of the paper reflects on corresponding social and urban new challenges and dilemmas, also focusing on the possible reasons for political mismatches and difficulties in consolidating territorial cohesion, spatial justice and the right to housing as main elements for urban policy sustainment on the metropolis of Lisbon. ; Este texto incide sobre a influência que os mercados residenciais e as suas dinâmicas mais recentes têm nas tendências de coesão ou de segregação socioespacial no sistema metropolitano de Lisboa. O texto desenvolve-se em quatro partes. A primeira parte apresenta de forma sucinta alguns elementos definidores da evolução urbanística de Lisboa nesta vertiginosa década de 2010, onde se conjugaram os efeitos da crise económica europeia com as mutações socioeconómicas e tecnológicas globais. Na segunda parte expõem-se as componentes que têm marcado a evolução mais recente dos mercados imobiliário e habitacional em Portugal e na metrópole de Lisboa. Na terceira descrevem-se como tais mutações nos mercados habitacionais têm pressionado, de forma crescente, as capacidades financeiras das famílias – ...

This text resulted from a research project that seeks to observe and interpret forms and flows of governance (sociopolitical and cultural) associated with creative (and cumulative) dynamics in cities and in pro-urban territories. It results from a work of theoretical and critical reflection on basic concepts (creativity, vitality and governance in the city) and the empirical projection of such perspectives in a set of interviews carried out with key actors in the thinking and action around the contemporary city , in 3 metropolitan territories: Lisbon, São Paulo and Barcelona. It was tried not only to identify the different perspectives around the concepts and respective dynamics of complementarity and connectivity between them; but also the structuring and metabolic conditions for the sustained development of creativity in today's city, both in terms of its spatial / geographical configurations, but also in the associated socio-cultural and economic environments. There are also forms of promotion and public and private support of urban creativity, discussing political strategies and governance processes for their empowerment. Different perspectives (in relation to the city itself and its emancipation) lead to different rationales of sociopolitical action, particularly in the face of dynamics and governance structures. This text mirrors such perspectives of political rationality, in the scope of the promotion of urban creativity. Notwithstanding an inherent (and salutary) diversity of perspectives, the importance of urban-spatial elements such as the diversity and proximity of different types of actors, their transactional practices, mobility and daily dynamics; along with key elements in the local / metropolitan governance sphere, such as openness and proactivity (and corresponding capacity for organizational change), as well as the dissemination of information and vehicles for debate and co-responsibility, are vital elements for strengthening the governance of creativity in the contemporary city. Governance ...

The concept of governance has been evolving into one of the most important but also dubious concepts in urban politics. The enlightening perspectives of cooperation, participation and collective construction are accompanied by shadowed fears of public demission, oligarchic regimes and less local democracy. These lights and shadows and the dilemmas they bring along are particularly relevant when observing the cities of the south of Europe, whose socio-cultural specificities very much structure local political and policy materialisations. Joining urban Mediterranean socio-political and cultural perspectives — including when gaining cosmopolitanism, and thus reducing North-South dualisms — this paper proposes a systematisation of governance tendencies and directions for deeper analysis of the Mediterranean urban world. ; O conceito de governança tem vindo a tornar-se num dos mais relevantes, mas também mais dúbios conceitos em política urbana. As perspectivas luminosas de cooperação, de participação e de construção colectiva são acompanhadas por receios sombrios de demissão pública, regimes oligárquicos e diminuição da democracia local. Estas luzes e sombras e os dilemas que trazem são particularmente relevantes quando se analisam as cidades do Sul da Europa, cujas especificidades socioculturais estruturam muitas das materializações políticas locais. Conjugando as especificidades culturais e sociopolíticas do mundo urbano mediterrânico — incluindo quando aumenta o seu cosmopolitismo e se reduzem dualismos Norte-Sul — este artigo propõe uma sistematização das actuais tendências de governança, bem como correspondentes direcções de aprofundamento analítico.