The Neighbors in Lisbon Association, which has previously proposed measures for the old post office landmarks and, more recently, for the replacement of the crowns in Parque Eduardo VII, is back in action with yet another measure that aims to give a “new life” to the old Portugal Telecom (PT) telephone booths.
Authentic relics of the past, you can still find these “ghost booths” in some of Lisbon’s streets, most of which are completely abandoned and in disrepair.
What’s at stake?
If you walk around Lisbon regularly, you’ve probably come across these metal and glass (sometimes plastic) structures, many of them vandalized and broken.
These old telephone boxes, much used before the advent of cell phones, are now real “scars” of the urban environment, with visible signs of abandonment, which contrast with the image of a capital that wants to be increasingly modern and vibrant.
Just like the old CTT post boxes, these PT telephone boxes are also objects of urban nostalgia (who doesn’t know these pieces?), but the truth is that today they represent a public space management problem, accumulating garbage and such degradation that they seriously damage Lisbon’s image.
The “neighborhood” proposals
Taking a few examples from our European neighbors, we know that it is possible to turn this problem into an opportunity to serve the entire surrounding community, as well as visitors to the city.
In the UK, to give just one example, the iconic red booths have taken on creative new forms and are now transformed into small libraries or cell phone charging points.
This is where, once again, the Associação de Moradores Vizinhos em Lisboa comes in, which through a civic movement has already asked Lisbon City Council and MEO (currently responsible for these posts) to urgently remove these booths from Lisbon’s streets, relieving pedestrian traffic or, alternatively, to give them another purpose, for example:
- Wi-Fi hotspots ;
- Charging points for cell phones or electronic equipment;
- Mini-libraries, as is already the case with the reading booths in Parque das Nações.
We, who love our city as much as anyone, are in complete agreement with these ideas which, if they come to fruition, will allow this urban real estate to be redeveloped , not only from an aesthetic point of view but, above all, in terms of usefulness, changing the current image of abandonment for innovative measures that are, in fact, useful for all citizens and tourists.
Don’t miss out! Follow us on Facebook,Instagram and now WhatsApp too!