Bairros com Energia (Neighbourhoods with Energy)

Make it happen as a community

The EDP Foundation believes communities play a fundamental role in the preservation and development of the spaces where they're inserted and that significantly contribute to building more cohesive and sustainable cities. This is one of the pillars of the social innovation strategy that was adopted, which has as a central concern, along with sustainability, the inclusion of people and communities in vulnerable situations.

Inserted in this strategy, the Districts with Energy Project, developed in partnership with Iminente - the responsible platform for experiences of urban culture -, held four workshops in the Alta de Lisboa’s city districts, and also in Bairro do Rego, Vale de Alcântara and Vale de Chelas. between July and September of 2022.

Workshops held in 2022

Alta de Lisboa  (for young people in their 15/16 years of age)

This workshop, supported by  MOB Architecture workshop, placed the participants in contact with some of the architecture tools, aiming to think about and intervene sustainably in a space within the neighborhood that serves as a collective area: the garage.

Bairro do Rego (for young people and adults aged 14–70)

This action, which intends to raise awareness about sustainability and was carried out in partnership , performed in partnership with the cultural and environmental Mergulho Urbano Association, originated a ping-pong table.

Vale de Alcântara (destined for children and youngsters over 8 years old)

Supported by the Claro Juvenile Association, it was possible to build skates and ping-pong racquets, from recycled materials. In light of this initiative, the intention was to essentially bring awareness to the democratization within sports and towards the need to recycle and reuse materials.

Vale de Chelas  (for children and young people, ranging from 8 to 25 years of age)

This workshop provided the chance to build horizontal and vertical vegetable gardens from a composting station, in the Curraleira neighborhood, backed by UP Farming. It intended to sensitize children and youngsters to the adoption of collective farming, bearing in mind concerns such as sustainable consumption and the protection and conservation of the environment, and the overall well-being of the community.

Workshops Held in 2025

In 2025, the project conducted five community workshops in the municipal neighborhoods of Alta de Lisboa and Vale de Chelas.

This year, the focus was concentrated on just two neighborhoods to intensify efforts and maximize the impact of each intervention, favoring a deeper, more participatory approach rather than spreading activities across multiple locations with lower engagement.

Vale de Chelas
VMBA: Mural Painting, with Catarina Glam
This mural painting workshop aims to energize the local community through participatory urban art. Throughout the workshop, participants will be invited to reflect on environmental preservation and material reuse, translating these ideas into a collaboratively created artistic intervention—from concept to the execution of the painting. More than just a mural, this activity seeks to create a space for dialogue, inclusion, and environmental awareness, where art serves as a tool for social transformation.

Geração com Futuro: Clothing Upcycling, with Pitanga
Plastic artist Pitanga, also known as Joana Rodrigues, is renowned for her clothing upcycling workshops, where she teaches participants to transform old garments into unique, sustainable creations. In these workshops, participants learn techniques such as fabric painting, applying patches, and embroidery, using recycled materials and eco-friendly paints, in line with her philosophy of environmental awareness.

Alta de Lisboa
Bairro da Quinta Grande PER7: Product Design, with João Xará
João Xará leads a participatory design and production workshop for neighborhood youth. The workshop invites participants to imagine and create objects that encourage outdoor social interaction at the Associação da Quinta Grande. Using simple construction methods inspired by DIY and self-design principles, participants will design and build various objects to facilitate outdoor gatherings. Materials such as wood, wicker, and cork will be explored, promoting reuse and sustainability.

Associação de Moradores do PER 11: Creation and Maintenance of Green Spaces, with Flor de Murta
This workshop combines cooking with food waste and wild plants, focusing on nutrition while integrating a creative, playful, and aesthetic component. Through collaborative menu design with participants, practical knowledge about natural, healthy, and sustainable eating will be shared in a non-intrusive way, tailored to the participants’ interests and needs.

Espaço Mundo PER9: Sustainable Cooking, with JOY Food Experience
The project plans to repurpose a green area to create a community garden accessible to all residents, with potential expansion and support from the City Council. The initiative aims to reclaim currently unused space, foster a communal area for socializing and sharing, raise collective awareness about caring for the green space and its produce, and develop a new leisure area by planting trees along the wall to provide shade during the hottest periods.