Framed within the urban culture of the late 20th century, the 1998 World Expo in Lisbon, Expo’98, reconverted a riverside industrial area on the east side of the city into a multifunctional district and new urban centrality. The event organization aimed to increase Lisbon’s competitiveness, signalling the desire to participate in European and global urban networks, affirming a cosmopolitan identity. From the start, the development plans contemplated both the exhibition period and its adaptation to the post-event, marking a change in attitude towards the design of world expos. This large-scale operation would be the first of this kind in the country, becoming an exemplary showcase for urban regeneration in Portugal. The novelty of the task in hands spurred innovation, the Expo’98 would come to be seen as a laboratory in urban design practices, architectural experimentation and programmatic diversity. The new urban and architectural model connected the city to the river and established a long riverside area for public use, included important urban facilities and innovative infrastructures and showcased diversified and contemporary architecture. Moreover, it materialized as a festivity space, offering celebratory, cultural and leisure imagery. For the most part, Expo’98 was cherished as a success and established a new pattern of urban quality for Lisbon and Portugal in general. Its legacy far exceeds the new urban district it created, Parque das Nações, which nevertheless continues to be regarded as a distinct, innovative and exemplary territory. It includes the physical transformation in cities all over Portugal through numerous urban regeneration operations targeting public space and environment recovery initiatives, but also the dissemination of new urban planning tools and practices of high quality and innovation, a newfound interest in leisure activities and a greater emphasis on the image and aesthetic features.

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