Reflecting On My Reading Week In Lisbon

Going to Lisbon was not my original plan for reading week. I was originally planning on going to Toronto to visit a few friends of mine, and admire the streetcars of the TTC. Events took a turn when I saw that round trip flights were $800 and a hostel was running for $175 a night (thank you Taylor Swift). I began browsing google flights and saw that flights to Lisbon were only a couple hundred dollars more, and I could get much better deals on accommodation and food. I impulsively bought my tickets and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.
When I landed in Lisbon I was surprised at how easy it was to get around, along with the extreme diversity in different land uses. My hostel was in a residential area but shared a building with apartments, a bakery where I indulged in way too many pastel de nata, souvenir shops, and restaurants. Not to mention that it was a 30 second walk to a metro station where I could get on that train and take it wherever my heart desired. Although Lisbon’s geography constricts its ability to sprawl out and expand like many North American cities, the consequence is increased land use efficiency which spills out onto the cobblestone streets. I am always in awe every time I go to Europe how lively the streets are, and Lisbon was no exception. Couples sipping coffee in the street patios of the Baixa, party animals living it up in the alleyways of Bairro Alto, lovebirds admiring the sunset in Cais do Sodre, and kids running after bubbles in Praca de Comercio. It’s no secret that mixing commercial, residential, and leisure uses allows for many cities to have bustling streets. This diversity not only increases efficiency, but it creates for a lively urban experience that I have been craving since my return to Canada. 

While I am glad to be back home in Edmonton, I think a lot can be learned from Lisbon’s vibrant streets and dynamic land uses. Reducing euclidean zoning provisions have the potential to not only bring vibrancy and increase walkability, but improve neighborhood vibrancy and increase social interaction. Even opening up a small sandwich or ice cream shop in a neighbourhood can allow for it to become an unofficial community hub where social interaction can take hold, which has already been seen in a handful of mature neighborhoods with the likes of Farrow in Ritchie and Kind Ice Cream in Highlands. With recent reforms including the passage of Zoning Bylaw 20001 and District Plans, along with plans to improve cycling and pedestrian infrastructure along Whyte Ave and 132 Ave, Edmonton has the potential in bringing some of that magic seen across many European cities into our growing and increasingly versatile city.

-Written and photo credits by Alex Cooke