João Ferrão

Suicide in Portugal: Spatial determinants in a context of economic crisis.

This study compares the existing statistical association between suicide mortality and the characteristics of places of residence (municipalities), before and during the current economic crisis, in Portugal. We found that (1) the traditional culture-based North/South pattern of suicidal behaviour has faded away, while the socioeconomic urban/rural divide has become more pronounced; (2) suicide is associated with higher levels of rurality and material deprivation; and (3) recent shifts in suicidal trends may result from the current period of crisis. Strategies targeting rural areas combined with public policies that address area deprivation may have important implications for tackling suicide.

The Centre-Periphery Model and Industrial Development in Portugal

A critique of the use of the centre-periphery model in explanation of intranational regional development based upon Marxist and neo-Marxist economic theory is presented. Seemingly different approaches use the same basic explanatory structure. The history and structure of the model arc discussed, followed by a theoretical and epistemological critique of the explanatory content. Empirical evidence for key economic variables in the industrial sector in Portugal is presented, which casts further doubt upon the validity of the model. Portugal exhibits an apparent centre-periphery structure in patterns of regional industrial development, but closer analysis reveals that underlying patterns found in these key variables do not conform.

A emergência de estratégias transnacionais de ordenamento do território na União Europeia: reimaginar o espaço europeu para criar novas formas de governança territorial?

Territorial planning does not integrate European Commission formal competences. But this has supported multiple favorable initiativ es to the emergency of transnational dev elopment strategies of Communitarian space. This apparent contradiction is analyzed from the reconstitution of the process that has permitted the European Commission to hold today an effective role in this matter, in little more than ten years. The assumption of this paper is mainly based in informal processes of constr uction of a collective shared vision about Europe’s future space. The text evaluates both meaning and possible implications of this evolution, defending the need of questioning supra-national strategies of territorial planning, as a way to participate in the political debate about the future of European and national projects.

Zones rurales et capacité entrepreneuriale au Portugal : pratiques, représentations, politiques

Resume La qualification de la capacite entrepreneuriale constitue un facteur decisif pour le developpement des zones rurales. Voila une affirmation particulierement importante pour ceux qui reconnaissent les limites des approches productiviste et patrimonialiste en matiere de creation de conditions de developpement durable dans les zones rurales. La capacite entrepreneuriale est analysee dans ce texte a 2 echelles complementaires. En premier lieu, une typologie generale des espaces ruraux portugais est definie, afin d’enqueter sur l’actuelle diversite regionale des dynamiques d’initiative entrepreneuriale. En deuxieme lieu, les resultats du travail de terrain sont presentes et interpretes pour ce qui est des pratiques et representations relatives a l’activite entrepreneuriale et cela dans 2 zones rurales distinctes : Bombarral/Cadaval (zone rurale de proximite urbaine) et la rive gauche du fleuve Guadiana (zone rurale marginale). Les resultats obtenus nous permettent de mettre en cause l’adequation, aux espaces ruraux moins developpes, de politiques fondees sur des cadres analytiques qui au cours des 2 dernieres decennies ont eu un impact significatif sur les etudes territoriales ( clusters territorialises, systemes regionaux d’innovation, milieux innovateurs, etc.). Ce qui suggere la necessite d’attribuer une plus grande centralite, notamment dans ce type de zones rurales, aux mecanismes de renforcement de la capacite personnelle, sociale et institutionnelle, aux processus d’apprentissage collectif et aux pratiques de reflexivite par les communautes locales.

Red urbana, instrumento de equidad, cohesión y desarrollo.

Resumen es: Este documento busca la definicion de orientaciones estrategicas que transformen el sistema urbano portugues en un instrumento eficiente de equidad ter...

Multi-purpose Vehicles, a New Opportunity for the Periphery? Lessons from the Ford\VW Project (Portugal)

This chapter explores the qualitative and quantitative significance of the appearance of a new segment in the automobile market — the multi-purpose vehicle or people carrier — and relates it to current global restructuring in the auto industry. Within this context, the FordWW Project in Setubal, Portugal (named AutoEuropa, with each company holding a 50 per cent share) possesses a two-fold paradigmatic value. On the one hand, it clearly illustrates one type of cooperative strategy between American and European companies in response to Japanese competition in the world’s largest market, that of the European Community. On the other hand, it reflects the opportunities and difficulties which a project of this kind can bring for a small, semi-peripheral country like Portugal. Consideration of both these aspects allows an identification of new factors involved in redrawing the map of the European automobile production system.

Diversifying Mediterranean Tourism as a Strategy for Regional Resilience Enhancement

Mediterranean destinations that rely on sun and beach tourism—like the Algarve region, south of Portugal—are in a fragile situation. Challenges related to an aging population and climate change (e.g. extreme temperatures and sea level rise) will have consequences on the development of Mediterranean regions. In this context, sea level rise and beach area reduction could have a disruptive impact in these touristic regions. This chapter discusses how a strategy of regional resilience enhancement could allow for a transition and a differentiation from mainstream sun and beach touristic activities to alternative and sustainable types of tourism, such as nature-based and cultural-landscape touring. It outlines a touristic green infrastructure spatial planning approach to reinforce regional resilience as a competitive, cultural and systemic adaptation strategy, diversifying regional development basis overall.

Anthropocene as a narrative: could it be a useful lens to understand the present and imagine the future?

Since the beginning of this century the Anthropocene has been defined as a new geological epoch characterised by the human ability to alter the functioning and evolution of the earth system. This debate has, however, surpassed the domain of geosciences and nowadays authors from the most diverse disciplinary fields are also involved. With reference to current controversies, especially in the field of Geography, this paper discusses the extent to which the concept of Anthropocene can be useful in bringing about a new understanding of the present (Anthropocene as a scientific event) thus increasing our capacity to imagine a desired future (Anthropocene as a philosophical and political event).

Perceived effects of the economic recession on population mental health, well-being and provision of care by primary care users and professionals: a qualitative study protocol in Portugal

Introduction Economic recession periods can pose accentuated risks to population’s mental health and well-being as well as additional threats to health systems. Users and health professionals are key stakeholders in care delivery; however, little attention has been given to their experiences of the crisis. This paper presents a qualitative study protocol to assess users’ and health professionals’ perceptions about the effects of the post-2008 economic recession on mental health and care delivery in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal. Methods and analysis The methodology to assess perceived effects of the economic recession by primary care users and professionals on population mental health, well-being and provision of care is presented. Focus groups with users and semistructured interviews with health professionals will be carried out in three primary healthcare units in Lisbon areas especially affected by the crisis. Thematic analysis of full-transcribed interviews will be conducted using an iterative and reflexive approach. Ethics and dissemination The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of NOVA Medical School, NOVA University of Lisbon. The findings will be useful for other researchers and policy-makers to develop and implement the assessment of prevailing experiences of users and health professionals on the effects of the economic recession on mental health and quality of care in primary health context, promoting their involvement and contribution to services responsiveness.

O território na constituição da República Portuguesa (1976-2005): dos preceitos fundadores às políticas de território do futuro

Este texto analisa a relacao territorio — Constituicao da Republica Portuguesa (CRP) a partir de tres questoes: (i) de que forma e o “territorio” considerado na versao originaria da CRP (1976)?; (ii) qual a evolucao ocorrida desde entao ate a versao em vigor em 2016 (aprovada em 2005)?; (iii) em que medida condiciona a atual CRP a formulacao e execucao de uma nova geracao de politicas de territorio? A comparacao das versoes de 1976 e 2005 da Constituicao permite identificar nove alteracoes mais relevantes, com destaque para a crescente “europeizacao” de principios e conceitos e para a emergencia do ordenamento do territorio como politica publica autonoma. A Constituicao em vigor, apesar de algumas limitacoes, nao parece constituir um obstaculo a formulacao de uma nova geracao de politicas de territorio mais eficientes, democraticas e justas, embora a atual organizacao politico-administrativa condicione a participacao das varias entidades publicas no desenho e implementacao dessas politicas.