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| Centro de Estudos das Cidades | |
|---|---|
| Name | Centro de Estudos das Cidades |
| Native name | Centro de Estudos das Cidades |
| Established | 1990 |
| Type | Research institute |
| Location | Porto, Portugal |
Centro de Estudos das Cidades
The Centro de Estudos das Cidades is a Portuguese urban studies research institute based in Porto that engages with urban planning, heritage conservation, and social policy across Iberia and Lusophone networks, connecting scholarship around Porto, Lisbon, Brazil, Angola, and Mozambique through comparative projects involving institutions such as Universidade do Porto, Universidade de Lisboa, Universidade de São Paulo, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, and Universidade Agostinho Neto.
Founded in 1990 amid post‑Carnation Revolution urban reform debates, the institute emerged alongside initiatives linked to Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, European Union urban programs, and municipal reforms in Porto and Lisbon, collaborating with municipal authorities like Câmara Municipal do Porto and national bodies such as the Ministry of Culture (Portugal). Its early work paralleled international networks including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme while drawing on comparative case studies from Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, London, and Rome. Over successive decades the center hosted visiting scholars from Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, University College London, and Sciences Po, and participated in EU frameworks such as Horizon 2020 and the European Regional Development Fund.
The institute's mission combines applied research, policy advising, and public dissemination, aligning with frameworks used by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Bank, and Council of Europe urban policy reviews. Objectives include producing evidence for municipal planning practiced in collaborations with Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, supporting heritage initiatives associated with UNESCO World Heritage Committee, training practitioners linked to Instituto Politécnico do Porto, and influencing legislation comparable to acts debated in the Assembleia da República (Portugal).
Research spans urban morphology, housing policy, mobility, heritage, and social inclusion with projects referencing methodologies from Jane Jacobs, comparative literatures like studies of São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Seoul, and project partnerships with European Commission calls and observatories such as the Observatoire de la Ville de Paris. Prominent projects have examined postindustrial regeneration in Porto, waterfront redevelopment like that of Vigo and Bilbao, transit‑oriented development influenced by Metropolitan Transportation Authority case studies, and informal settlement upgrading drawing on examples from Rio de Janeiro and Johannesburg. The center has led consortia for multidisciplinary studies involving Instituto de Ciências Sociais (ICS), Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade do Porto, School of Architecture, University of Sheffield, and Royal College of Art.
Outputs include peer‑reviewed articles in journals comparable to Urban Studies (journal), monographs published with presses like Routledge and Springer, policy reports for municipalities such as Câmara Municipal do Porto, and curated exhibition catalogues displayed at institutions like Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Serralves, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, and Fundação de Serralves. The center produces working papers, edited volumes with contributors from King's College London, Columbia University, Universidade de Coimbra, and participates in conferences such as International Making Cities Livable Conference, World Urban Forum, and symposia hosted by European Association of Urban Historians.
Administratively affiliated with university departments including Universidade do Porto and research networks like Centro de Estudos Sociais, the center is governed by a board comprising academics from Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, municipal representatives from Câmara Municipal do Porto, and international advisors from European University Institute. Funding sources include competitive grants from Horizon 2020, project contracts with Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, fellowships from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, and philanthropic support from Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian and corporate partners active in urban development such as companies comparable to Mota‑Engil.
The center maintains formal partnerships with universities including Universidade de São Paulo, University of Oxford, Delft University of Technology, ETH Zurich, and municipal and NGO partners such as Câmara Municipal do Porto, Lisbon City Hall, Habitat for Humanity, and Federação Portuguesa das Associações de Bairro. It has participated in transnational projects funded by European Commission directorates, collaborated with heritage bodies like Icomos and Direção‑Geral do Património Cultural, and engaged with research networks including Urban Europe and the Global Urban Research Network.
The center's impact is reflected in policy changes in municipal plans in Porto and Lisbon, contributions to UNESCO nominations for urban heritage sites, public exhibitions at Casa da Música and Palácio da Bolsa, and media engagement with outlets such as Público, Expresso, and RTP. Its public programs include open lectures featuring speakers from MIT, Princeton University, Universidade do Porto, and partnerships for community workshops with local associations like Associação de Moradores groups and networks modeled on Neighbourhoods for Tomorrow.
Category:Research institutes in Portugal