On September 25, 2024, I had the honour of speaking at the roundtable Reclamar a Cidade, held at Sala dos Fornos as part of MIL – Lisbon International Music Network 2024. Moderated by urban geographer Ana Estevens, this session brought together a diverse group of voices to critically reflect on urban justice, cultural infrastructure, and the politics of space in contemporary Lisbon.
Our discussion tackled urgent questions about who the city is for—and who it excludes. Reclaiming the city means confronting gentrification, contesting unequal access to housing, and ensuring public space is truly public. But it also means safeguarding the night, the arts, and the invisible layers of community life that too often get erased by elite-driven urban development.
In my intervention, I emphasized the importance of cultural expression and nighttime dynamics in ongoing struggles over the urban. Drawing from my work on light festivals, nightlife, and proximity tourism, I argued for more inclusive frameworks of urban governance—ones that take seriously the role of nighttime as a legitimate arena of citizenship, creativity, and resistance.
Grateful to MIL and Ana Estevens for curating this politically engaged and much-needed conversation, and to all fellow panelists for their powerful insights.
📍 MIL – Lisbon International Music Network
📅 September 25, 2024 – 17:00–18:30
🎤 Roundtable: Reclamar a Cidade
📌 Sala dos Fornos
Manuel Garcia-Ruiz 