Lisbon in deep and unbalanced transition. Housing, real estate and urban policy in the south of Europe and in the digital era

Abstract

Lisbon is undergoing deep transformations. After an economic crisis accompanied by harsh austerity policies, Lisbon is experiencing a new economic dynamism, but without reverting old and new, social and territorial, inequalities. This article presents recent transformations in the real estate market and housing of the main Portuguese city, and portrays emerging social movements concerned about the right to housing. In addition, it questions the articulations between local development and models of the new global economy. Lisbon’s recent history is shown as a paradigmatic case of clashes among pseudo-liberal models of urban and economic development, and the gradual emergence of forms of contestation, with both social and institutional natures, at the local level but increasingly connected to international networks.