Tensions and contradictions in the construction of sustainable urban futures: the case of Lisbon

Abstract

This article deals with the (in) ability of the plan to face the changes of a western civilization wrapped in a transition in which an urban revolution emerges. To verify this (in) ability, a set of plans for Lisbon was compared to several future stories built to that city after the transition, in 2030. It was found that, concerning a city of Lisbon after the urban revolution, the positivistic plan – incorporating neither uncertainty nor risk – hardly encompasses broader and speculative scenarios, becoming inadequate and structurally unable to think about the future. The proximity and convergence between future studies and urban studies emerge as a central priority for the city.