Tourism and Authenticity: Analyzing Retail Change in Lisbon City Center

Retail is one of the defining elements of urban spaces. The study of commerce is largely based on its evolution and how it relates with urban environments. Currently, with the advent of mass tourism, there has been an adjustment in the commercial fabric of the area’s most sought after by tourists. Among these latter areas, the historical centers of commerce stand out. The first objective of this research is to analyze the modern evolution of the commercial fabric of Lisbon by comparing the city center with the rest of the city. For this goal, I use a quantitative approach through the quotient location for specific retail typologies. The results show dissimilarities that are associated with the geographical location of retail, which vary according to the different retail typologies being analyzed. The second goal is based on the assumption that the mere analysis of the evolution of the retail typologies is limited in the context of tourist cities. Considering this matter, a qualitative method (photo analysis, conceptually supported by the concept of authenticity) is used. The results show the usefulness of the concept of authenticity to apprehend and discuss how retail is reacting to the tourism industry, thereby contributing to the transformation of the city center into a leisure and entertainment destination.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The prospective impact of new shopping centres on the retail structure of Braga

Following the application for two new shopping centres in the city of Braga, a medium-size city located in the North region of Portugal, the purpose of this paper is to look for evidence of the possible impacts of those commercial structures on the retail sector of Braga. An overview of the literature allows us to conclude the strong relation between retail and cities and their town centres. Recently, the process of suburbanization and the transformation in the retail sector put into question the role of those areas by transferring the consumption from town centres and traditional retail formats to new structures located on the periphery. 400 questionnaires were given to consumers to analyse the consumption habits and the way they might change with the possible arrival of two new shopping centres. We have come to the conclusion that these commercial structures are very much present in the consumption habits and in the commercial environment of consumers. They associate characteristics like quality, animation, security, cleanness, time saving, product diversity, comfort, conviviality and parking facilities with that retail format. With the implantation of new shopping centres it is expected that the existent retail sector will undergo a decrease in its importance as a shopping destination. The data from the questionnaires allow us to conclude that it is not only the already existent shopping centres that will suffer but also the other retail formats. Nevertheless, a significant number of respondents do not think of transferring the shopping they already do to the new retail structures.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The use of indicators in the evaluation of retail planning: evidences from England

Retail planning gained importance with the introduction of innovation in that sector, which challenged the vitality and viability of town centres. With this evolution and the arise of Town Centre First in England, the retail planning key documents started to incorporate indicators to help and standardize the monitoring of the health of town centres. This article aims to analyse the process of evaluation and verify the evolution of indicators suggested in the several public documents that constitute retail planning in England since 1993. It was based on the review of the main documents established in England since 1993. The research developed in this paper helps to update some information and is valuable for urban planners, practitioners and academics. In this paper we conclude that indicators are been used but without been framed in an evaluation framework and the variability of suggested indicators may have limited the analysis of the temporal evolution of town centres. In terms of research implications this paper helps to, in part, path the way for future research in this field. First published online: 22 Jan 201

Controlling Retail Development between Restrictiveness and Innovation: insights from Portugal

Retail planning policies have become more important in the course of retail change that negatively affected traditional trade centers of several Western European countries after the 1950s. Consequently, governments have begun to more actively control the development and location of new large-scale retail developments. The objective of this article is to analyze the evolution of the policy designed to control the implementation of new retail developments in Portugal. We aim to answer the following research question: “What have been the main characteristics of planning permissions for new retail developments in Portugal?” Besides the theoretical support, our research was based on the analysis of the Portuguese legislation implemented to regulate retail, especially major retail developments. We conclude that, overall, retail planning policies balance between periods characterized by the restrictiveness regarding the opening of new large retail developments and periods where the legislation is smoother, mainly with the objective of increasing innovation in retail, through new formats and companies. Consequently, although ambiguous, this control of retail development has allowed the government to respond both to private promoters and independent retailers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Do mercado de Levante à homogeneização da paisagem comercial. A gentrificação do comércio em Lisboa

Este texto analisa o actual processo de transformação do comércio em Lisboa sobre o prisma da gentrificação comercial. Existe uma relação umbilical entre as cidades e o seu tecido comercial. Embora nem todas as cidades tenham surgido exclusivamente pela influência das actividades económicas ligadas ao comércio, é certo que este sector tem um papel preponderante na estrutura das cidades, na vitalidade e viabilidade dos principais centros das cidades e dos bairros residenciais. Desta forma, a história das cidades está fortemente relacionada com a localização do comércio, dos formatos e dos tipos de comércio [...]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Gentrificação comercial, os mercados muncipais empurrados para o lazer e o entretenimento

Ainda que nem sempre reconhecido, o comércio é um elemento fundamental das aldeias, vilas e cidades. No seio das ciências sociais em geral, e da geografia em particular, o estudo do comércio há muito que detém um papel de destaque. Esta longevidade é parcialmente explicada pela capacidade de transformação e inovação que é inerente ao comércio (Guimarães, 2019). Olhando para trás, facilmente nos recordamos de alguns formatos e práticas comerciais que viram a sua importância sofrer alterações ao longo dos tempos (Guimarães, 2017). Ao nível das práticas comerciais destaca-se a introdução do livre-serviço (Barata-Salgueiro, 1996) e a introdução do pagamento por cartão bancário. Ao nível dos formatos, por exemplo, durante a segunda metade do século passado, o aparecimento e disseminação de estabelecimentos de comércio alimentar cada vez maiores colocou em causa a viabilidade dos estabelecimentos de menor dimensão. Mais recentemente e de forma crescente o comércio online também tem ganho quota de mercado e provocado a diminuição do número de compras efectuadas nos estabelecimentos comerciais de rua (Fan et al., 2018) [...]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The tools for city centre revitalization in Portugal

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to critically review some interventions made in Portugal through Commercial Urbanism Programmes. These public interventions, with the objective of revitalizing city centres and modernizing the retail sector, culminated with the development of town centre management schemes. The paper also intends to analyze how these interventions have been evaluated. Design/methodology/approach – The paper contains a brief literature review which clarifies why city centres went into decline and why we should apply positively discriminatory policies in order to revitalize them. Second, the paper describes the main aspects of the public programmes and town centre management in the Portuguese context. After, the paper identifies the main aspects that concern the evaluation of impacts. The paper approaches the difficulties, gaps and importance of evaluation. In the last point the paper draws some final considerations. Findings – This research identifies the main measures implemented in Portugal in order to overcome the decline felt in city centres. Also it recognizes some gaps in the interventions, mainly regarding the lack of concern for local specifications. It also recognizes the difficulty in establishing a proper evaluation and identifies different ways of collecting data, usable for an evaluation. Originality/value – This paper helps clarify the process of public intervention in city centres in Portugal. Beside that it sheds somelight about the importance of evaluation and howdata can be collected.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Revisiting retail planning policies in countries of restraint of Western Europe

Retail planning became more relevant following a number of notable changes that affected the retail sector. Among several other reasons, the peripheral location of new retail formats and the concentration in larger retail companies have had negative impacts on town centres and in the traditional retail structure. In this paper, we review the evolution of the main elements and axes of intervention in retail planning in England, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. We also establish a retail planning definition that could be applied to the different national contexts. It is concluded that, although there is a similarity between the objectives of the policies implemented, the instruments applied are diverse and dependent on the evolution of societal characteristics, as well as political and ideological beliefs.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

L’efficacité des projets spéciaux d’urbanisme commercial: le cas de Braga.

Este artigo tem como objectivo analisar o processo de implementação dos programas públicos Procom e Urbcom na cidade de Braga. Estes programas foram concretizados no território através dos designados projectos especiais de urbanismo comercial, mecanismos peculiares no âmbito das intervenções de regeneração urbana das áreas comerciais em Portugal por disponibilizarem fundos integrados para a modernização dos estabelecimentos comerciais, reabilitação do espaço público e animação comercial. Para analisarmos a eficácia de ambos os projectos elaboramos 50 inquéritos a empresários que aderiram aos projectos e quatro entrevistas a stakeholders com conhecimento acerca dos mesmos. Concluímos que o processo de modernização dos estabelecimentos já estava em curso e ia efectuar-se mesmo sem a adesão aos projectos, tal como também já se encontrava a decorrer a reabilitação das ruas do centro da cidade, tendo a contribuição do Procom e Urbcom sido reduzida. As acções promocionais realizadas pela associação comercial foram efémeras e concentradas em poucos eixos comerciais, o que restringiu a sua capacidade de produzir impactos positivos. De forma geral, pelo que foi dito acima e porque não foram capazes de minimizar as ameaças externas, concluímos que ambos os projectos foram ineficazes na regeneração do tradicional centro de comércio da cidade de Braga.The aim of this article is to analyse the process of implementation of the public programmes Procom and Urbcom in the city of Braga. These programmes were implemented in the territory through the special projects of commercial urbanism, peculiar mechanisms for the urban regeneration of commercial areas in Portugal based on integrated funding for the modernization of shops, the rehabilitation of public space and commercial animation. To analyse the effectiveness of both projects we conducted 50 surveys with entrepreneurs and four interviews with relevant stakeholders. Our findings show that the modernization of the outlets was already underway and it was going to be carried out even without adhering to the projects. In a similar process, the physical rehabilitation of the town centre was already under way. Thus, the role of the Procom and Urbcom projects was very limited. The promotional actions carried out by the Chamber of Commerce were ephemeral and concentrated in a limited number of commercial streets, which restricted their ability to produce positive impacts. Overall, due to this and the inability to minimize external threats we conclude that both projects were ineffective in the regeneration of the city centre of Braga.Cet article anlyse le processus de mise en œuvre de programmes publics Procom e Urbcom dans la ville de Braga. Ils ont été réalisés à travers des “Projets Spéciaux d’Urbanisme Commercial”, mécanismes qui, dans le cadre des interventions de renouvellement urbain des quartiers commerciaux au Portugal, présentent la particularité de fournir des fonds à la fois pour la modernisation des établissements commerciaux, pour la réhabilitation de l’espace public et pour l’animation commerciale. Afin d’analyser l’efficacité des deux projets, 50 enquêtes ont été menées auprès d’entrepreneurs ayant adhéré aux projets, ainsi que 4 entretiens auprès d’acteurs ayant connaissance de ces programmes. Les résultats montrent que le processus de modernisation des établissements était déjà en cours et qu’il allait de toute façon s’effectuer même sans adhésion aux projets. De la même manière, la réhabilitation des rues du centre-ville était déjà en cours. La contribution des projets Procom et Urbcom apparaît donc réduite. Les actions de promotion réalisées par l’association commerciale ont été éphémères et se sont concentrées sur un nombre réduit d’axes commerciaux, ce qui a diminué leur capacité à produire des impacts positifs. D’une manière générale, pour les raisons mentionnées plus haut et par leur incapacité à minimiser les menaces externes, il ressort en conclusion que les deux projets ont été inefficaces dans la régénération du centre- -ville de Braga.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Reabilitação ou gentrificação comercial? Discurso e práticas associadas à transformação dos mercados municipais de comércio em Portugal

After a long period of disinvestment and decline, recent years have seen a growing interest in the rehabilitation of municipal markets in European and South American countries, often culminating in the gentrification of those commercial facilities. Our working hypothesis is that some agents in the search for good urban planning practices use as a reference some markets that, through the molds used for rehabilitation, promote gentrification processes. Faced with an apparent contradiction between academic studies that confirm the gentrification of rehabilitated municipal markets and the practice of political agents who see the current rehabilitation model as good urban planning practice, we aim to analyze and discuss the current rehabilitation process of municipal markets in Portugal. In methodological terms, this work is supported by a qualitative approach, based on theoretical analysis on the subject in question and on interviews carried out with managers of three Portuguese Municipal Councils, as well as two interviews with consulting companies involved in the process. Using the conceptual framework of gentrification to help interpret the results, we conclude that the motivation for the rehabilitation of markets is based on a reading of declining markets and that the current intervention models are due to benchmarking strategies and the transfer of models understood as being good practices, also highlighting the role of consulting firms in its dissemination.Após um longo período de desinvestimento e declínio, nos últimos anos tem-se assistido a um crescente interesse na reabilitação dos mercados municipais em países europeus e sul-americanos, culminando frequentemente na gentrificação daqueles equipamentos comerciais. A nossa hipótese de trabalho é que alguns agentes na busca por boas práticas de planeamento urbano utilizam como referência certos mercados que, por via dos moldes usados para reabilitação, promovem processos de gentrificação. Face a uma aparente contradição entre os estudos académicos que confirmam a gentrificação dos mercados municipais reabilitados e a prática dos agentes políticos que encaram o atual molde de reabilitação como uma boa prática de planeamento urbano, temos como objectivo analisar e discutir no atual processo de reabilitação de mercados municipais em Portugal. Em termos metodológicos, este trabalho é suportado por uma abordagem qualitativa, baseando-se na análise teórica acerca da temática em causa e em entrevistas realizadas a responsáveis de três Câmaras Municipais portuguesas, assim como duas entrevistas a empresas de consultoria envolvidas no processo. Recorrendo ao quadro concetual da gentrificação para auxiliar na interpretação dos resultados, concluímos que a motivação para a reabilitação dos mercados é baseada numa leitura dos mercados em declínio e que os atuais moldes de intervenção se devem a estratégias de benchmarking e de transferências de modelos entendidos como sendo boas práticas, destacando-se, ainda, o papel das empresas de consultoria na sua disseminação. Após um longo período de desinvestimento e declínio, nos últimos anos tem-se assistido a um crescente interesse na reabilitação dos mercados municipais em países europeus e sul-americanos, culminando frequentemente na gentrificação daqueles equipamentos comerciais. A nossa hipótese de trabalho é que alguns agentes na busca por boas práticas de planeamento urbano utilizam como referência certos mercados que, por via dos moldes usados para reabilitação, promovem processos de gentrificação. Face a uma aparente contradição entre os estudos académicos que confirmam a gentrificação dos mercados municipais reabilitados e a prática dos agentes políticos que encaram o atual molde de reabilitação como uma boa prática de planeamento urbano, temos como objectivo analisar e discutir no atual processo de reabilitação de mercados municipais em Portugal. Em termos metodológicos, este trabalho é suportado por uma abordagem qualitativa, baseando-se na análise teórica acerca da temática em causa e em entrevistas realizadas a responsáveis de três Câmaras Municipais portuguesas, assim como duas entrevistas a empresas de consultoria envolvidas no processo. Recorrendo ao quadro concetual da gentrificação para auxiliar na interpretação dos resultados, concluímos que a motivação para a reabilitação dos mercados é baseada numa leitura dos mercados em declínio e que os atuais moldes de intervenção se devem a estratégias de benchmarking e de transferências de modelos entendidos como sendo boas práticas, destacando-se, ainda, o papel das empresas de consultoria na sua disseminação