A wonderful but uncertain time: Youth transitions of Erasmus students and Lisbon’s housing crisis

Abstract

The city of Lisbon, with a population of around 500,000 inhabitants (2,800,000 including the surrounding metropolitan region), has recently been attracting the attention of real estate investors, international students, tourists and lifestyle migrants. However, the city’s success as an international learning hub and its capacity to attract visitors, and capital, from abroad are far from being random outcomes. In fact, the organization and publicity generated by hosting certain major events reflects a repositioning of Lisbon as one of the most visited, and most touristified, cities in the European Union.