Energy Transition & Waterfront Futures
Join us 25 - 27 March in Lisbon, Portugal for a three-day event hosted by COST Action PACT.
Lisbon’s Tagus estuary presents a complex, layered territory where port operations, urban life, fragile ecology, heritage, and tourism intersect. Over decades, Lisbon has embarked on bold waterfront transformations (e.g. Expo 1998, regeneration of industrial zones, extension of public spaces) while confronting climate pressures, social inequities, and the imperative of decarbonization. By positioning Lisbon as a living laboratory, this PACT event aims to explore how energy transition can be integrated into waterfront development, port–city synergy, climate resilience, and inclusive urban regeneration. The conference will bring together multiple voices - academics, local authorities, port authorities, NGOs, cultural actors, and community groups - to co-produce knowledge and open pathways into future European comparative work.
Conference and Programme Structure
Day 1 - Framing the Waterfront: Theory, Governance & Policy
Keynotes and thematic panels will address specific themes, such as:
- Approaches to governance in port-city territories
- Energy transition frameworks and decarbonization strategies
- Climate adaptation, sea-level resilience, and blue-green infrastructure
- Equity, inclusion, and participatory governance in waterfront transitions
Day 2 – Methods, Practices & Transition Pathways
Focused sessions will include:
- COUNTER MAPPING of spatial, energy and infrastructure
- Case studies and experiential practices (European and global port cities)
- SENSORIAL WALK of transition pathways
- Artistic, cultural, and bottom-up initiatives shaping waterfront futures
Day 3 – On-site Exploration: Waterfront Immersion
A guided site visit — in collaboration with the Port of Lisbon — to selected zones (e.g. Alcântara, Belém–Pedrouços, Marvila–Beato) will allow participants to experience, in situ, regenerations, blue-green interventions, creative and community projects.