Fátima Loureiro de Matos

Recent dynamics in the Portuguese housing market as compared with the European Union

Abstract. The closing years of the 20th century witnessed profound changes in the European housing market, characterised by an increase in owner-occupied housing; instability of house prices (leading to a serious crisis in some regions, in light of a fall in demand); a change in people’s attitude to the housing market, involving a rise in the importance of location, the quality of materials and spaces, environmental sustainability, and architectural and urban innovation. The European Union does not have a common housing policy, which it believes is the responsibility of Member-States. However, it is recognised that the problems related to the socio-urban inclusion of low-income individuals do have an impact on Community policies. Because we are in the midst of a transformation, it is difficult to talk today about the dynamics and policies of housing, the functioning of markets, and thereby about the ways in which public administrations are facing the current crisis of real estate overproduction. This article aims at analysing the dynamics of the housing market in Portugal as compared with other European countries, highlighting the characteristics of demand and supply and the main changes recorded in the last few years.

Urban morphology: an introduction to the study of the physical form of cities [book review]

dered and transgendered sex workers, many of whom were people of color. For example, the mayor and chief of police drafted a citywide anti-prostitution ordinance that would have harmed transgendered sex workers in Midtown. After much debate, the ordinance was voted down. Nonetheless, the fact that the ordinance was even considered highlights the strong strain of racist transphobia that exists in Atlanta. Midtown’s lesson is that planners must make sure that the voices of the marginalized and nonconforming gay and transgendered communities are audible. Planners should achieve “a broader awareness” (p. 152) incorporating the full range of views and groups as “valid participants” (p. 152). “Pragmatic Politics of Multicultural Democracy,” by David Laws and John Forrester, is the best chapter in the book, To illuminate the importance of listening to everyone, Laws and Forrester focus on West Amsterdam, a troubled and densely diverse borough with more than 130 nationalities and ethnicities. Efforts to use soccer matches to improve relationships between non-Western groups (Moroccans, Antilleans) and native Dutch residents initially failed. In fact, they led in one case to a huge fight including bottle throwing. Martien Kuitenbrouwer, president of the borough of West Amsterdam, eventually was able to broker a peace, but she had to patiently listen to both sides. Laws and Forrester highlight the importance of having a good mediator/listener: “The encounter of mutual accusations giving away to reciprocity of recognition and even apology demand a level of engagement hardly possible when neighbors [simply] barbeque or play football together” (p. 105). The chapter made me more optimistic about the prospects for multiculturalism even when sharp ethnic differences exist. In general, community residents have the skills to resolve problems with a little help from outsiders. While I have focused on two of the chapters, others provide critical insights into other multicultural issues such as planning in Native American communities, the impact of majority–minority cities, and how historically Black colleges and universities planning programs seamlessly incorporate black issues into the planning curriculum. The book pulls no punches; it underscores the challenge that urban planning faces to get multiculturalism right. The challenge most importantly begins with a willingness to get to the know those who are different and to hear their voices. Michael Buraydi’s book helps us to move in the right direction.

Crise e vulnerabilidade social : uma leitura territorial

Como outros paises da Europa do Sul, Portugal encontra--se numa situacao de crise economica, com consequencias noaumento dos riscos e da vulnerabilidade social. Os indicadores disponiveispara medir os seus impactos sociais sao ainda relativamente insuficientes.A pesquisa aqui apresentada desenvolve-se, em primeiro lugar, a nivel nacionale sustenta-se num numero elevado de indicadores. Em seguida faz-se umabreve reflexao das politicas sociais implementadas nos ultimos anos. No final,avanca-se para uma analise territorial, para construir uma geografia socialfocada no numero de pessoas afetadas pela crise. E uma geografia que retrataa situacao em 2007 e 2014, mostrando a forte concentracao geografica daspopulacoes em situacoes de maior vulnerabilidade social. O retrato que seapresenta teria outra leitura social e territorial se os valores fossem relativizadospela dimensao populacional, mas essa seria outra opcao analitica.

Housing conditions in Portugal

This paper aims to analyse the changes that have taken place over the last decade in housing conditions in Portugal, based on data collected in the last two Housing Censuses (1991 and 2001) published by the Portuguese National Statistics Institute. The information available for this period indicates intensive construction dynamics in Portugal. The real estate development in some NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) exceeds the growth in the number of households, pointing clearly to a concentration of investments in housing, and has broadened and accentuated previous tendencies in the expansion and structural transformation of areas under construction. When considering this situation, two issues arise: the way in which this dynamic in production mirrors the relationships between households and housing, and the main spatial variations in these processes. Thus, the changes operated in the occupancy and ownership of housing are described, with particular attention paid, on the one hand, to an increase in easy access to home ownership, to the detriment of other forms of housing occupancy and, on the other, to changes in the profile of buildings, as well as more qualitative aspects of the housing stock. Despite the substantial expansion of the housing stock and improvements in its quality, as a result of the many social housing programmes implemented by successive governments, some NUTS still display significant housing deficiencies.