How a citizen-led project reconnects Lisbon’s elderly with their communities

The Purpose

The rapid pace of social, economic and technological change in cities over the past decade has prompted contemplation regarding the themes of community and identity. In cities around the world, residents are curious about their local social history, asking questions about the purpose of their city and where they fit within it.

The Challenge

To develop a citizen-led life history project that connects the older population of the city with their communities.

The project’s objectives include reducing isolation and loneliness among Lisbon’s elderly population and encouraging younger residents of the city to take an interest in their community’s history.

The Solution

‘Neighbourhood Lives and Memories’ is a life history project that gathers the memories of older people in Lisbon. It seeks to provide insights into how the changing world has impacted people’s daily lives and their neighbourhoods. There is a growing concern that while modern technology may appear to connect us more than ever, the collective memory of the older generation, who may have limited access to these tools, is at risk of disappearing. ‘Neighbourhood Lives and Memories’ utilises community library resources to ensure that the stories and testimonies of elderly individuals are heard and valued.

Jointly organised by various community groups and organisations dedicated to the well-being of the elderly, the project focuses on collecting, preserving, and sharing materials that comprise people’s life stories in the city. This includes interviews, photographs, correspondence, journals, printed materials, and videos. Each individual’s memories and life history are shared during weekly meetings known as “community memory workshops,” led by technicians from participating libraries.

These workshops offer a range of significant social, emotional and cognitive benefits to the participants, contributing to the array of cultural activities available to the elderly and promoting their overall health and well-being. The project will also extend enrichment activities, typically conducted in closed institutional settings like care homes, into a setting where the wider community can enjoy them. This will benefit the entire city.

The Impact

The project’s objectives include reducing isolation and loneliness among Lisbon’s elderly population and encouraging younger residents of the city to take an interest in their community’s history. It has already yielded a wealth of oral history material through video-recorded interviews with elderly individuals. Another goal is to establish an online digital archive containing all the historical documents, such as photographs, letters and videos, that have been collected. The project aims to expand its reach to more of the city’s libraries.

Source: World Cities Culture Report 2022

Images Courtesy © Getty/Canva, City of Lisbon