Abandoned building6/1/2023 ![]() Well, nowadays the tourism scene has definitely exploded and the city centre has gone through a full-on gentrification process. Then things started getting better with the rise of tourism. I remember growing up in the 90’s and the historic centre was a no-go area, where the humbler, lower-class families had to live door-to-door with prostitutes, addicts and drug dealers. Time Travel Turtle was a guest of the Porto and Northern Portugal Tourism Association but the opinions, over-written descriptions and bad jokes are his own.Īs a Porto local, reading your post based on a visit that happened just 7 years ago made me realize how quickly the city changed. But together, the city has not lost its heart. Still, each of these abandoned buildings may lack meaning for now. It’s just a bit sad to see the reality of the present and the challenges which the city faces. My time in Porto has been wonderful and I’ve enjoyed what it has had to offer – a friendly social scene, beautiful views along the river, and a glimpse into the heights of Portugal’s past. Thankfully, in the meantime, there are still plenty of reasons to visit. It will be a long effort, though, in the current climate. ![]() It is getting support from philanthropic organisations which will help fix up the buildings at no cost to the owners, but in a way that will be beneficial for the whole economy. One local group called Arrebita, which is trying to bring renewal to the urban area says the mass abandonment is “impacting everything from its urban identity and safety to the management of infrastructures and living standards, especially of those already most deprived”.Īrrebita is working on a project to develop innovative ways to regenerate the structures in a way that helps the whole community and brings back the energy Porto once had. The effects on the city have been described as “ominous” by some of the residents, although it’s hard to gauge as a visitor. So the buildings just sit there and slowly succumb to the combination of time and neglect. It costs too much to restore, it is too much of a loss to sell, it’s not even economically sensible to just maintain. They are beautiful structures, evidence of the care and respect that was once here, but now just toxic assets. Built in the 19 th century, it was where the merchants and the trade unions would come to do their business and sort out their disputes.īut today, from the windows on the upper level, you can look out and see the husks of the abandoned buildings.Ībout one in every five buildings in central Porto is abandoned and derelict at the moment. The elegant and impressive Stock Exchange Palace in the centre of the city is a reminder of what once was. The latest census shows that in the past decade, the centre of the city has lost a third of its population. You can still visit the active cellars of the large companies like Taylors and see how the wine has been made for centuries.īut, although it is a successful business and a pleasant place for a tour and a tasting, it does not an entire economy support.Īs the national finances of Portugal have hit rocky times, business has become more centralised in Lisbon, and Porto has suffered. Porto was once an epicentre of trade and production – it was produce like fruit, nuts and olive oils that were popular in the Middle Ages.Īnd then it was the eponymous Port wine. But behind the colourful and active displays is a community of dereliction.Ī bust has followed a boom. But together, a grand image taking people off the street and inside the creation for a minute.Īll through the streets of Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city, these tiled mosaics bring life to the roads, the pathways, and the squares.
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