The Expo’98 Urban Project in Lisbon New or Renewed Urban Policy?

Abstract

The paper looks into the process of implementing the Expo 98 urban project in the old industrial eastern part
of Lisbon. The promotion of the project was partly justified by the regeneration of a derelict and neglected
part of the city. Following the conclusion of Expo, the urbanisation of the river-front site has been advertised
as a model of efficiency in policy making for urban regeneration. The paper looks into the Expo urban project
in connection with the development of the Portuguese planning system and the making of urban policies in
the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, and raises questions about the level of innovation in urban policy brought by
the project.
The first part looks into the place of urban regeneration policy in Lisbon and the role of the planning system
and the decision making process in the design and implementation of urban development policies and
projects. The second part describes the design and implementation of the Exposition and the urbanisation
project for the Expo site. The final part questions the extent to which the Expo project represents a new strategy
for urban development and responds to demands for more efficient and democratic forms of urban governance.