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Borrego, P., Romão, A. L., Maravalhas, F., Valente, B., Baptista, L., Firmino, S....Neves, J. S. (2026). Invisible Lines: an analysis of inequalities in access to culture in Portugal. S4P-25 Policy Brief 8026/2025. Science for Public Policy.

P. Borrego et al.,  "Invisible Lines: an analysis of inequalities in access to culture in Portugal. S4P-25 Policy Brief 8026/2025", in Science for Public Policy, 2026

@null{borrego2026_1787595570888,
	year = "2026",
	url = "https://www.planapp.gov.pt/policy-brief/linhas-invisiveis-uma-analise-das-desigualdades-no-acesso-a-cultura-em-portugal/"
}

TY  - GEN
TI  - Invisible Lines: an analysis of inequalities in access to culture in Portugal. S4P-25 Policy Brief 8026/2025
T2  - Science for Public Policy
AU  - Borrego, P.
AU  - Romão, A. L.
AU  - Maravalhas, F.
AU  - Valente, B.
AU  - Baptista, L.
AU  - Firmino, S.
AU  - Neves, J. S.
PY  - 2026
UR  - https://www.planapp.gov.pt/policy-brief/linhas-invisiveis-uma-analise-das-desigualdades-no-acesso-a-cultura-em-portugal/
AB  - In Portugal, cultural diversity varies significantly across territories, reflecting geographical, demographic, socioeconomic, and institutional factors. This analysis provides empirical evidence on inequalities in access to culture across different regions, namely Terras de Trás-os-Montes, Alentejo Central, Algarve, and Grande Lisboa, combining quantitative and qualitative methods, including statistical and geospatial analysis, as well as interviews with key stakeholders. The findings show that access to culture is embedded within broader territorial development dynamics and cannot be dissociated from local socio-economic and institutional conditions. However, these conditions are not determinative in themselves. The analysis highlights the mediating role of institutional strategies, partnership networks, and place-based cultural governance practices. It also shows that public policy instruments, such as national cultural networks, tend to reflect the existing capacity of territories and may contribute to the reproduction of territorial asymmetries. Similarly, accessibility to cultural facilities, particularly museums, depends not only on their existence but also on their territorial distribution, proximity to populations, and mobility conditions. Qualitative evidence further reinforces that access to culture goes beyond the mere availability of infrastructure, involving processes of mediation, audience engagement, and institutional coordination. In this context, museums emerge as multifunctional territorial infrastructures with the potential to promote social cohesion and cultural participation, although often constrained by limitations in resources and institutional capacity. From a public policy perspective, the findings point to the need to move beyond standardised, infrastructure-led approaches. Reducing inequalities in access to culture requires place-sensitive policies that strengthen institutional capacity, foster cooperation networks, and enhance conditions for effective participation. The results are particularly relevant in the context of the National Arts Plan (2024) and the Strategic Agenda PT 2030, which link cultural policy to territorial cohesion, social inclusion, and demographic balance. Part of the findings has been consolidated into an open-access, interactive digital platform, based on geographic information systems, which can support data analysis and evidence-informed decision-making.
ER  -