How to foster a sustainable and inclusive urban regeneration
Lisbon’s HUB-IN Colina do Castelo has emerged as a transformative initiative to enhance sustainability and well-being by blending innovation with tradition. Through a series of actions and programs, the HUB has created opportunities for local communities while preserving cultural heritage in an area where over-tourism risks taking the place of locals.
Building an entrepreneurship and innovation network
The mapping of the Historic Urban Area (HUA) identified 186 businesses and projects across diverse sectors, from artisans to public services. This data was integrated into a geo-referenced platform, offering essential entrepreneurial information. The innovative Hub Digital Colina do Castelo platform connected cultural heritage with entrepreneurship, promoting visibility and opportunities for local stakeholders. The result was a comprehensive, accessible entrepreneurial database and an integrated digital platform that fostered collaboration and market presence, supporting the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
De-incubator
The acceleration program supported 9 teams that developed projects addressing challenges like cultural heritage preservation and sustainable tourism. Over 6 months, participants engaged in an intensive acceleration phase with 300 hours of training in areas such as design testing, storytelling, and sustainable business development. In the end, they developed 11 innovative solutions. Additionally, a related initiative addressing food waste engaged 43 university students in ideation and prototyping over 2 months. Participants created and rapidly prototyped solutions, including products, services, and applications, to combat food waste. The initiative culminated in a demo day where 11 solutions were presented to the community, showcasing enhanced entrepreneurial capacity, innovative responses to local challenges, and strengthened stakeholder collaboration.
Celebrating ceramic heritage
The Ceramics in Castle Hill event celebrated the area’s ceramic traditions through lectures, workshops, and exhibitions. Visitors explored ceramic shops via a Peddy Paper activity, culminating in the collaborative creation of a ceramic piece. Positive feedback highlighted the event’s success in promoting cultural heritage, raising awareness of ceramic traditions, and fostering community engagement with local artisans, effectively bridging traditional crafts with contemporary community interests.
Sprout Tank for Circular and Climate Neutral Solutions
The Sprout Tank initiative launched a Mocathon at Pátio do Moca, revitalizing an abandoned space with community-driven solutions like nature-based designs, street art, and renewable energy installations. The design competitions Students Reinventing Mouraria 2023 and Students Reinventing Alfama 2024 attracted over 30 international proposals, fostering innovative ideas for sustainable urban living. Workshops empowered residents to create shading devices for heat resilience. These efforts resulted in practical solutions for sustainable living, knowledge-sharing platforms, revitalized urban spaces, and strengthened community involvement in climate resilience.
Fostering a renovated sense of belonging
Lisbon’s HUB-IN Colina do Castelo’s efforts underscore the potential of innovation and heritage convergence to transform communities, paving the way for sustainable and inclusive urban regeneration. By bridging tradition with contemporary innovation, HUB-IN has not only revitalized local spaces but also fostered a stronger sense of identity and collaboration among residents, entrepreneurs, and visitors.
Important lessons learned include tailoring your engagement strategies to the specific stakeholder group and designing a flexible action plan that can be adapted during the implementation phase.
These initiatives reflect a model for other urban areas aiming to address modern challenges while celebrating their unique cultural heritage. Moving forward, the lessons learned and connections established will serve as a foundation for continued growth, ensuring that both the past and the future thrive together in harmony.
Have a look at the Storytelling Booklets to get inspired by the stories of the other HUB-IN cities!
