Shopping and shops can, and indeed should, be an element that distinguishes a city and makes it different to others. Down through Lisbon’s history, trade and commerce has played a particularly important role in the life of the city. And it continues to occupy a decisive place in the economic, social and cultural life of the capital today.
Treating the shopping facilities as both a differentiating mark of the city and an economic activity that also generates employment requires close coordination of a wide and complementary range of measures as part of a strategy that brings together three areas of municipal activity: urban planning and architectural elements, cultural heritage, and economic activities.
One of the priorities of the city of Lisbon is to work with the traditional and historic businesses in the city with a view to conserving and protecting them and their material, historic and cultural heritage and energising and reinvigorating the commercial activities essential for their existence. It was with this objective in mind that Lisbon City Council launched its programme, which is a first in Portugal.
Câmara Municipal De Lisboa
