Urban societal risks: integration of social disadvantaged residents

Abstract

The strong real-estate pressure in city centres gradually triggers sharp price rises and,consequently, engenders social risks for less-favoured disadvantaged residents. These result, on the onehand, from the strong deterioration of buildings and dwellings where they live and, on the other, from theireconomic and social vulnerabilities that question their permanence in the places where they have alwayslived (where they feel socially and culturally included).In these communication are reported the goals, methodologies, results and conclusions of a technical,socioeconomic and financial study undertaken for the Porto municipality (Portugal). It tackles the socialrisks faced by Porto "islandsŽ" inhabitants. The "islands" consist in ranks of little houses built from thebeginning of the 19th century on, aimed at lodging the working class that increasingly looked for urbanareas in this city. Despite the analysis was pursued for all the "islands" in Porto city (Portugal), the casestudy herein presented centres in S. Víctor "islands", located in the Urban Rehabilitation Area of Bonfim,just by the side of the historical centre classified as worldwide heritage by UNESCO.The study begins by the analysis of the risks involved in these "islands", concerning, namely, buildingsŽ anddwellingsŽ physical deterioration, accessibility shortcomings, isolation and safety shortage. Thischaracterization resulted from local visits, population surveys and interviews. Then a rehabilitationintervention by public authorities is proposed, which consists in the rehabilitation of the current dwellings,doubling their liveable areas, and remodelling them so to increase their residentsŽ comfort levels. Finallythis rehabilitation proposal is supported on cost and profit assessment that justify its feasibility, resorting toavailable financial instruments. This proves its economic and financial sustainability, and stresses itscontribution to social risk reduction (namely social exclusion and economic, social and cultural collapse ofits inhabitants).