Porto Vivo
Encyclopedia
"Porto Vivo", literally translating to "Porto Alive", is the name for an urban rejuvenation
project in Porto
, Portugal
. The Porto City Council, ("Camara municipal") established this project when the City old Town was designated a World Heritage Site
by UNESCO
during 1998.
district of Porto, on Rua Mouzinho da Silveira, in the heart of the protection zone. The society was constituted on 27 of November 2004. Its mission is to elaborate the strategy, and promote the program of urban rejuvenation in Porto, by acting as mediator between property owners and investors, between holders and tenants, and where needed, to take charge the operation of urban rehabilitation, using the lawful powers conferred to it by the City Council.
The overall aim of the rehabilitation program is to rehabitate, and breathe new life into the inner city (The "Baixa" district), and the historical centre of Porto. This involves renovation of much of the older, more neglected residential and other historically significant buildings, especially in the area bounded by the ancient city walls, defined by UNESCO as being a world heritage conservation zone in during 1996.
In addition to the many historical buildings renovated to date as part of Porto Vivo, the program has also yielded the Porto Metro
, the upgrading & expansion of Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport
, the construction of many new buildings including the Casa da Música
theatre, the Infante Dom Henrique Bridge, and the upgrading of the Dom Luis Bridge.
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
project in Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. The Porto City Council, ("Camara municipal") established this project when the City old Town was designated a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
during 1998.
History
Porto City Council's officially appointed body, The Society of Urban Rehabilitation of Oporto, was created specifically to take charge of and carry out this project. They are located in the SéSé (Porto)
Sé is a Portuguese parish, located in the municipality of Porto. It has a population of 4,751 inhabitants and a total area of 0.48 km²....
district of Porto, on Rua Mouzinho da Silveira, in the heart of the protection zone. The society was constituted on 27 of November 2004. Its mission is to elaborate the strategy, and promote the program of urban rejuvenation in Porto, by acting as mediator between property owners and investors, between holders and tenants, and where needed, to take charge the operation of urban rehabilitation, using the lawful powers conferred to it by the City Council.
The overall aim of the rehabilitation program is to rehabitate, and breathe new life into the inner city (The "Baixa" district), and the historical centre of Porto. This involves renovation of much of the older, more neglected residential and other historically significant buildings, especially in the area bounded by the ancient city walls, defined by UNESCO as being a world heritage conservation zone in during 1996.
Objectives
The society has 5 declared objectives:- To refurbish the buildings and structures of the City Centre.
- To revitalise the local economy of the City Centre.
- To renew and enhance the social aspects of the City Centre.
- To modernise the infrastructure of the City Centre.
- To facilitate efficient management of the renewed City Centre.
In addition to the many historical buildings renovated to date as part of Porto Vivo, the program has also yielded the Porto Metro
Porto Metro
The Porto Metro , part of the public transport system of Porto, Portugal, is a light-rail network that runs underground in central Porto and above ground into the city's suburbs...
, the upgrading & expansion of Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport
Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport
Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport or simply Porto Airport is an international airport near Porto, Portugal. It is located approximately six miles northwest of Porto city centre, in the municipalities of Maia, Matosinhos and Vila do Conde and is run by ANA Aeroportos de Portugal...
, the construction of many new buildings including the Casa da Música
Casa da Música
Casa da Música is a major concert hall space in Porto, Portugal which houses the cultural institution of the same name with its three orchestras Orquestra Nacional do Porto, Orquestra Barroca and Remix Ensemble...
theatre, the Infante Dom Henrique Bridge, and the upgrading of the Dom Luis Bridge.