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How is the city of lisbon changing in the 21st century? |
Travel Info How is the city of lisbon changing in the 21st century? Travel Tips Lisbon has become a lot less provincial and a lot more like other cosmopolitan capitals over the last 10 years - better concerts, better exhibitions in the museums, more multiplex cinemas and less small independent movie houses. More international restaurants - when I got here there was very little Indian or Japanese food, now it's everywhere... Enormous shopping malls have been constructed in every part of town and in all the suburbs, which seems to have hit a lot of small businesses. And a lot of the small businesses have been replaced by "chinese shops", which sell cheap chinese versions of absolutely everything. Having said that, the downtown area still looks, in some ways, like a time capsule form the 1960s or 70s, with a lot of small shops and restaurants carrying on in their own very particular way. Loads of car parks have been constructed recently and there are less places to park freely in the streets - also some neighbourhoods, like Bairro Alto and Alfama, are now out of bounds to non resident vehicles. When I first got to Lisbon, we used to park all over the curbs, up the side of trees if we could - when there were big matches on in Benfica, people used to park all down the sides of the motorway that runs past the stadium! Not any more - I've been clamped twice in the last 2 years. Roads have been improved and traffic is better, although people here don't seem to think so, but I remember a lot of traffic jams when I came. Also people drive more carefully. The underground has been expanded and is now much more useful than before. A huge amount of reconstruction and refurbishment has been done in the historical neighbourhoods, and Lisbon as a whole is a lot less dilapidated than it was before. There used to be a lot of african immigrant slums and gypsy settlements around town - many of these have now been bulldozed and the inhabitants rehoused in social developments. Still plenty of good old town hall corruption scandals though! As a general answer, I think the city is getting more modern, a bit more efficient and bland - but it's still quite unique and has an old fashioned feel in some parts that you don't get in many other big cities. I hope these reflections are useful... Source(s): I've lived here for the last 10 years so I have a fairly good idea of how it's changing... Other Travel Tips It is not really changing much. The government of Portugal is getting alot worse though. Hi!! Lisbon has difficulty changing because of it's traditions, and it's people. this is good because it has character, what most cities don't. But, the cool thing is you can find modern stuff in an old ambience!! Go there and experience it for yourself!! http://experienceportugal.blogspot.com/... http://experienceportugal.blogspot.com/... Alyosha has got it quite right, give him da points. I am Portuguese, live near Lisbon and confirm. Just wanted to add the Parque das Na莽玫es where the Expo 98 was held. The problem with Lisbon is it took long to start works to renew it, for example, tunnels and subterranean parking lots. But eventually things get done. The Esta莽茫o do Rossio is also being renewed. What else. Oh yes, a new Casino (in the Parque das Na莽玫es). The recent huge malls, Colombo and Vasco da Gama. And Centro Cultural de Bel茅m (concerts, art exhibitions). If I remember more I'll be back :-) |
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