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.