Social inclusion as a collective urban project: urban farm in Lisbon and informal public markets in Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

In this paper, we present urban experiences in different contexts as an answer to the complex issue of social inclusion. We provide ideas to achieve a balance where city, urban space and social inclusion integrate migration, cultural diversity and poverty. We propose, using two different but interrelated case studies, ‘the urban farms in Lisbon’ and the ‘informal public markets in Rio de Janeiro’, to discuss the question of social inclusion. We see this issue not as a problem that exists and must be solved, but as reality to be integrated into a collective project, which is to live and to work in the city and in society. The urban offer and its accessibility to the population are important aspects to consider, with the participation of citizens crucial from a perspective of collective learning. The proposals presented can provide a range of open and flexible possibilities.