Participation, Demands and Urban Transformation in Lisbon and São Paulo

This paper aims to reflect on local grassroots mobilisations in peripheral territories. Two reference case studies will be used: one in Lisbon (Portugal) and the other in São Paulo (SP, Brazil). In both territories, the forms of organisation of these movements, their agendas, forms of mobilisation and strategies for dealing with public authorities were observed.

In both cases, the demand agendas seek to affirm the need for these territories to be more cohesive with the surrounding city, with more and better public transport and a demand agenda of an environmental nature, with an emphasis on bicycle mobility and green leisure spaces. The organisation and mobilisation strategies have shown participatory practices, seeking greater horizontality and representation of the residents of these territories. There is a visible presence of NGOs which, in different ways, seek to encourage local mobilisation.

In Lisbon, the results of these mobilisations are evident in the achievement of a new urban park and possible cycle paths to be built soon. In São Paulo, they resulted in structural works carried out in various neighbourhood streets to improve accessibility and pedestrianisation of the area.

Based on these two practical examples, we will present the potential of local mobilisations from below to transform the place and the lessons that these mobilisations can contribute to the collective construction of the city.

This research is part of a PhD project on urban mobility and local mobilisations. The presentation will be based on fieldwork carried out in these two contexts using action research, ethnography and interviews.