Mapping of Social Interactions of Teenagers in Urban Public Spaces in the Neighbourhood of Alvalade - Lisbon case study

Open public spaces allow people to meet in planned and unplanned ways as well as to interact with others within the context of the whole community. Young people in their teenage years have a particular need to be able to gather together in public spaces where they can practice sociability on neutral ground.

In the scope of this study, it was aimed to determine general needs of teenagers, which outdoor places they use in their leisure time and which activities they participate in. The aim of this study was to collect information about ways how teenagers use open public spaces during different periods of the day, different weather conditions, as well as during the weekdays, weekends and holidays. At practical level research was primarily focused on analysis of four open public spaces within the neighbourhood of Alvalade. The choice of these four cases was based on proximity to the high school
typology, activities being performed within, and dimension of the area. The four chosen areas were : street R. Maria Amália Vaz de Carvalho part in front of the Rainha Dona Leonor high school, block between streets R.Silva e Albuquerque, Av. Rio de Janeiro, Av. Estados Unidos da América and Av. de Roma, Alvalade square, and park between R. José Duro and R. Luís Augosto Palmeirim.

During the development of research several methods were used. For each of the cases seven data sets were collected. First, literature review, second set of intensive on site observation and mapping out the teenagers’ social spaces, types of uses and users. Third, semi-structured interviews with teenagers located in the case areas. Fourth, online questionnaire with questions connected to each space that was being analysed. Fifth, sixth and seventh are analyses of Foursquare application for the neighbourhood of Alavalde, creation of photo library and urban mapping.