Individual postdoctoral project
2011-2019
This research project investigated the sonic dimensions of urban transformation in Lisbon’s historical Mouraria quarter. From 2016 to 2019, the study addressed critical questions: What does a neighborhood in transformation sound like? How do changes in urban and social fabric impact the sound environment? To what extent can sound interventions trigger broader changes in urban dynamics?
Conducted at the Instituto de Etnomusicologia (INET-MD) at the Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas (Universidade Nova de Lisboa), this project built upon previous investigations into the relationship between sound and space, contemporary urban transformation processes, and music-city interactions.
The research examined Mouraria’s urban renewal under the QREN-Mouraria Action Plan (initiated in 2011), which aimed to «open the neighborhood to the city» and «create conditions to attract private investment, new residents, and tourists.» The project documented how interventions in the neighborhood’s urban and social fabric affected its sound environment, demonstrating that acoustic changes functioned both as causes and effects of the revitalization process. These sonic transformations served as mechanisms to regulate public space experiences while simultaneously producing new aural sensibilities.
The first research phase focused on music’s role in the revitalization and marketing of the renewed Mouraria, particularly the «sonic thematization» resulting from state-sponsored renewal. Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted across multiple settings:
- The revival of fado as an exemplar of how sonic interventions catalyzed neighborhood revitalization
- The transformation of a public square traditionally associated with immigration into a «multicultural» market appealing to urban cosmopolitan audiences
- The conversion of a derelict area known for prostitution and illegal drug trade into a trendy alternative nightlife destination
Analysis of these case studies revealed that Mouraria underwent a process of acoustic thematization—an equalizing process that smoothed out the area’s original rowdiness and dissonance to create more palatable sonic environments.
The second phase situated Mouraria’s revitalization within the broader context of Lisbon’s transformations as the city positioned itself on the «global urban catwalk» (Degen 2003) to become a preferred international tourism destination.
The project concluded in 2019, contributing valuable insights into how sound functions as both an indicator and agent of urban change in historic neighborhoods undergoing gentrification and touristification.
