Spatial planning and touristification of urban spaces. The case study of Praça do Comércio e da Ribeira das Naus, em Lisboa

Abstract

Urban regeneration as a form of integrated territorial intervention that combines rehabilitation actions with appropriate measures of economic, social and cultural revitalization and reinforcement of cohesion and territorial potential, intends to give "new life"to the territories. The tourist activity imposes significant modifications on the territory, turistifying it, that is to say, tourism as an economic activity, or as a social activity has the capacity to cause profound changes in the territories, be they negative or positive. Barros (1998) and Leite (2008). Praça do Comércio and Ribeira das Naus were in 2008 strategically object of urban rehabilitation, eventhough the motive was not to create tourist areas. The appropriation of these spaces for tourist functions, therefore, transformed them into territories of provision of goods and services for the satisfaction of tourists and hikers, tursitificando them. If we consider the case study, we can conclude that strategic planning must become a decisive measure for the sustainability of the territories, ensuring the coordination of the agents and the definition of objectives and measures that guarantee the balance to the activities to be developed, being tourism one of them.