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Reconhecida como a “a indústria mais sexy da Europa”, a indústria calçadista portuguesa se consolida como símbolo nacional, superando os problemas que outrora vivenciou. Nesse processo de consolidação, a atuação da associação empresarial foi fundamental no estabelecimento dos vínculos de cooperação e do movimento de coordenação dos atores, aspectos relevantes para a obtenção dos resultados positivos. Consideramos a coordenação exercida pela associação um dos elementos centrais das estruturas de governança territorial, tema que tem sido foco de importantes debates no campo do planejamento urbano-regional e da gestão do território. Dito isso, o presente artigo objetivou analisar a importância da governança territorial em aglomerados produtivos, como o cluster do calçado português. Para tanto, a metodologia foi constituída de revisão bibliográfica e da análise de documentos oficiais, além de estudos recentes sobre a dinâmica do cluster. Os resultados alcançados demonstraram a importância da governança no desempenho dos clusters, além de oferecer, com base no estudo de caso, um exemplo para a discussão sobre a dinâmica em aglomerados produtivos e a relevância dos novos fatores de produção (conhecimento, inovação, articulação entre atores, apoio institucional).

This research delves into the territorial nuances of political populism, examining Portugal's CHEGA party as a case study. Through a comprehensive analysis of survey data and correlational studies, this study reveals that discontent, manifesting in the rise of populist movements, is intricately linked to the economic decline and neglect of specific regions. The unexpected success of CHEGA is not merely a socio-economic phenomenon but a product of deeply rooted territorial dynamics. The findings underscore the importance of adopting place-sensitive development policies that address the unique challenges of overlooked territories, steering clear of traditional compensatory measures. The urgency to counteract long-term economic decline, industrial decay, and brain drain demands innovative strategies that tap into latent economic potential and provide tangible opportunities. As we confront the rise of anti-establishment voting threatening European unity, this research advocates for a paradigm shift towards place-sensitive policies to navigate the crossroads of discontent and foster a more resilient, inclusive future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the effectiveness of cross-border cooperation programmes between Spain and Portugal, focusing on their impact and outcomes in Portuguese regions. Drawing on a comprehensive analysis of the programmes, the study examines the socio-economic dynamics in border regions, including job creation, population trends, and investment patterns. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data analysis. We argue that the cross-border territorial cooperation between Spain and Portugal has played a significant role in fostering regional development and addressing common challenges. While the concerted efforts have shown positive results in terms of economic growth and employment, they have not been sufficient to reverse the regressive demographic trends. Thus, it is essential to strengthen cooperation mechanisms, invest in human capital, and foster innovation so that the two countries can work together to create sustainable and inclusive development across their shared border regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In multicentric and increasingly complex urban regions, a city centre reinvents itself. In the case of Porto, tourism was essential for its "Baixa" renaissance. A relevant increase in visitors meant also a dramatic increase in real estate prices and significant land-use change. In field interviews, retailers noticed a "new life" before COVID-19 arrived, remarking on the positive role of tourism on urban rehabilitation and the economic viability of companies, and the negative effects for residents and traditional shops, directed to the common resident. In this article, we present and discuss its main effects in this exceptional area in Portugal's second city. We also discuss tourism dependency and the challenge of sustainability in a high-density context, defending public policies oriented for a "city with tourists" that replaces the current construction of a "city of tourists". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles is the property of Asociacion de Geografos Espanoles and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper provides an analysis of public policies for territorial cohesion and sustainability in Europe, using a conceptual framework that takes into account theoretical approaches and empirical studies. Three case studies were examined, including the Tâmega e Sousa region in Portugal, the Jaén region in Spain, and the Province of Avellino in Italy. The analysis revealed similarities and differences between these territories in terms of the effectiveness of public policies for territorial cohesion and sustainability. Positive points included the creation of networks and partnerships, the use of smart specialization strategies, and the promotion of sustainable tourism. Negative points included a lack of coordination between different levels of government, insufficient investment in infrastructure, and a lack of awareness of the potential benefits of sustainability. Based on these findings, the paper suggests several recommendations for public policies and research on territorial cohesion and sustainability. These include the need for greater collaboration between different levels of government and stakeholders, increased investment in infrastructure and innovation, and the development of more sustainable tourism strategies. Overall, this paper highlights the importance of public policies for territorial cohesion and sustainability in promoting economic development, social cohesion, and environmental sustainability in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities experience rapid growth and transformation. Over the past decades, change has been particularly intense and complex, associated to globalization, spatial compression and temporal acceleration. Within this context, the EU funds introduced new urban rehabilitation dynamics that made a city center more and more attractive. This, alongside the growth of international tourism, has increased the number of city users, which has furthered the discussion on the relation between the physical, economic, social and environmental intervention of the city, as well as the debates on the positive and negative impacts of tourism in cities. With that in mind, we look at the intense change that occurred in the city of Porto, Portugal, in the period from an intense economic crisis to the COVID-19 confinement. We consider changes in buildings, retail and policies to conclude that a neoliberal attitude favoured a tourism-led and sustainability blind gentrification. Based on a survey and analysis of 50 urban rehabilitation initiatives in downtown Porto and on the analysis of recent public policies, we discuss the relation between urban rehabilitation and tourism in Porto, and therefore the effectiveness of public policies and its contribution to sustainable urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to shed light on the contribution of the Cohesion Policy to the urban dimension of Portuguese cities. This research is based on a case study of Porto. The results show that their contribution was positive, especially concerning the extensive rehabilitation of problematic urban areas, the reinforcement of local administrative entities' strategic planning and the development of citizen participation mechanisms, accountability and public‒private partnerships. However, the research also identified that the government structure is too centralised and excessive local funding competition made the process more complex, with concepts being applied more to the discourse than practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ager: Journal of Depopulation & Rural Development Studies / Revista de Estudios sobre Despoblación y Desarrollo Rural is the property of Rolde de Estudios Aragoneses and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles is the property of Asociacion de Geografos Espanoles and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Urban tourism growth, favoured by short term rental platforms like Airbnb, is changing the cities dramatically. All over Europe local governments have been facing unbridled growth of the socalled sharing economy and developed different regulatory approaches: full prohibition; laissezfaire; and different sorts of limitations. We take Porto as a case-study, considering the exponential growth of tourism, Airbnb and floating city users over the past decade. We make use of qualitative and quantitative methods and draw on the official AirDNA database to analyse the relation between Airbnb and urban transformation, and the governance context. We conclude that the growth of floating city-users -stimulated by Airbnb- has been the main driver of urban change. The case of Porto -which in many ways illustrates the fast growth of short-term, rental-driven urban tourism in southern Europe- demonstrates that Airbnb's global corporate narrative around property sharing, micro-entrepreneurship and tourism democratization hardly fits the urban reality of host professionalization, income concentration and growing massification. In this context, besides laissez-faire, urban sustainability concerns call for smarter regulatory approaches associated with more widely shared visions, and clear short, medium and long-term objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

City centres are spaces where different economic and cultural values converge as a consequence of their current uses and functions. In the case of Porto (Portugal), more than 20 years after being declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (in 1996), tourism has had remarkable effects on its physical, social and economic features. Therefore, Porto—and in particular its city centre—is taken in this article as the object of study. The interest of this space lies in the fact that it has been rapidly transformed from a devalued old area into the centre of an important urban tourism destination on a European level. Based on the spatial and temporal analysis of a set of indicators related to tourism, housing and economic activity, we identify the main threats that this "culture-led regeneration"—much supported by tourism—could have on the cultural values of Porto. Our results show that this process is promoting an excessive use of space by tourism and an overexploitation of cultural values. We conclude with some policy recommendations to support strategies capable of keeping cultural values alive, which we consider sustainable compromises between heritage and modernization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]