Economic impact of Polis project may be too early to ascertain

One way the Polis project successfully valorized the river - and the land economy - is evident in the city’s skyline, punctuated by construction cranes and half-built luxury residential towers. In anticipation of rising real estate values, the developer community engaged in a frenzy of land speculation and construction of high-rise luxury apartment buildings, resulting in an estimated 30% increase in the supply of housing units. 

All of the stakeholders I interviewed voiced displeasure at the rate of construction the project has apparently caused, citing the resulting problems of urban sprawl, increased demands on transportation and other infrastructure, and increased development pressure on greenfields and the destruction of open space. The Almedina residential project adjacent to Parque Verde exceeded the height requirement permitted in the Plano Direito de Municipal (PDM), and construction is at a standstill while the case is being negotiated.

Some blame the lack of strategic planning. The PDM of Coimbra, equivalent to the General Plan, has not been updated since 1994. The new PDM, currently in progress, was commissioned to a consulting company also owned by one of the largest landowners in Coimbra. The company’s owner, however, publicly denies the potential conflict of interest this arrangement may cause. One stakeholder I interviewed suggested that the existing PDM was probably not respected and too many building permits were issued. 

While development is perceived as necessary as Coimbra has lagged in image behind nearby Aveiro, the type of aggressive residential development the Polis project inadvertently encouraged lacks strategy and purpose and goes against the historical image of Coimbra as a university city. The additional units represent an oversupply of housing for a city whose population has remained stable at 100,000 over the last 10 years. The large student population also means roughly a 50% turnover in the population each year. New construction is occurring outside of the main historical core, raising the question of who the units are being built for. 

Further, despite a glut in housing supply, the prices of housing units have not gone down. Without a concerted effort to develop Coimbra economically, it is difficult to attract new residents. Despite the prolific university talent, Coimbra has not been attractive for businesses and private economic investment. The stakeholders I interviewed did not perceive the Polis project itself as having attracted new economic investment other than in construction, although its impacts may well change over time. 

Programming the new physical spaces

The Polis project brought new physical spaces for organized educational and cultural activities in addition to the new bars and restaurants, but as my interviewees pointed out, the new physical spaces could benefit from more frequent animation. Four mini exhibition cubes throughout the park and Pavilhão de Portugal at the upstream end of the park are new spaces with great potential for hosting educational and cultural workshops and events, for other than student-oriented activities, the city of Coimbra is undergoing a “cultural crisis.” Examples of activities that could potentially take place include sporting events, concerts, workshops, environmental fairs, etc that could be initiated either by the municipality or cultural and environmental associations. 

The programming aspects of these physical spaces were missing from the beginning, as manifested in a few different ways. One of the stakeholders expressed that the exhibition cubes “look a little lost.” When I visited, the cubes hosted displays on orchids, the sun, and reading by the Exploratorium, a life science museum in Coimbra. The displays were visible through the cubes’ glass walls, but they were closed to the public despite the opening hours posted indicating otherwise. Pavilhão de Portugal is also located at perceivably too great a distance, all the way at the other end of the park. The parking lot at the Pavilhão end of the park was also less well-used. Other than for specific events, the venue could benefit from informal activities that are well-integrated into the rest of the park.

Exhibition cubes were closed although the sign said it should be open.

Parque Verde - a bird's eye view

The lack of programming is perhaps a reflection of the disconnect between the use of space at the local level and the project planning and implementation carried out at the national scale by the Polis program. One stakeholder pointed out that landscape architecture decisions made at the national level called for lawns and orange groves in large areas of the park. Maintenance happens at the local level, however, and the burden of intense water use and the resulting maintenance expenses are born at the local level. Without necessary financial and other support, the local municipality may not be able to keep up with such responsibility.