The construction of a new parking lot and the felling of several trees on Av. 5 de Outubro, including the jacaranda trees that Lisboners love, has sparked a lot of discussion in recent weeks, with the Lisbon City Council making several attempts to mitigate potential political damage.
However, after listening to its residents and having already planted 15 of these trees, the executive under Carlos Moedas decided that only three of the transplants would be authorized, since they are in a crucial area that requires urgent underground work to upgrade the sewage and water pipes.
According to information on the Lisbon City Council website, two of these jacaranda trees will be replanted in Praça Andrade Caminha, with the rest going to Rua Marquês da Fronteira.
Two plane trees will also be transplanted, recalling that the promoter of the project to build a parking lot in this part of Lisbon has pledged to plant more than 200 jacaranda trees throughout the city.
The before and after of Av. 5 de Outubro
All told, and if there are no new decisions due to the request for a re-evaluation of what was decided to be done on this avenue, here are some figures of what you can now find on 5 de Outubro, and what the Lisbon City Council has promised:
- Before: 77 trees, where the axis will be filled with jacarandas
- After: 118 trees, keeping the axis
- Before: surface parking
- After: green zones with rest areas
- Before: no bike lane
- After: with cycle path
- Before: smaller sidewalks (1.3 meters) without trees
- After: wider sidewalks (3 meters) with trees
