Lisbon - Arco do Cego

The Bairro Social do Arco do Cego is one of the first planned residential areas of Lisbon. After the founding of the republic work began on establishing housing settlements in what were then still the suburbs of the city. These were supposed to develop standardized living areas within the framework of a social house building program. A decree of April 5, 1918 sought a remedy to the housing difficulties of the poor and the gradual solution of the problems acknowledged in the old quarters by construction new living areas for the working classes.

Under the leadership of the architects Edmundo Tavares and Frederico Machado small semi detached houses fronted by little gardens began to be built in the Arco do Cego quarter in 1919. Political change caused considerable building delays during the following years so that the new settlement was not officially opened until 1935 under the Salazar regime.

In the meantime the general shortage of accommodation had increased, and in addition the political line had clearly altered. The result was that - allegedly because of mistakes made in planning the project - rents were set so high that people on low incomes could not afford them. Instead of the people they were intended for, tenants from the lower levels of the bourgeoisie such as civil servants and members of the national unions were preferred. Today the quarter lies on the edge of newer tower block complexes; in contrast to these it appears an almost idyllically peaceful area.