Viana do Castelo is a medium size city located in northern Portugal in the mouth of the Lima River facing the Atlantic Ocean and protected from the north winds by a hill. On the summit of this hill there is a majestic temple and a hotel with breathtaking views. 

Viana do Castelo’s privileged location has influenced its identity and destiny throughout the centuries – fishing, maritime commerce, naval construction and the discovery of distant lands in Africa, America and the Orient. This helped the city prosper during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, as evidenced by the buildings in the historical centre.
 
Set aside from the Portuguese industrial revolution during the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, Viana do Castelo lost the social benefits of industrialization. However, its historical centre has been preserved from the “progress” that took over other Portuguese cities.

In the last quarter of the 20th century, after the Portuguese revolution (1974), the city opened a new hospital, a school of higher education and established various cultural associations. Nonetheless it reached the last decade of the century as a stagnated and demoralized city.


A common comment made by the inhabitants of Viana do Castelo was that the city was locked away sleeping between the river, the sea and the mountain. Above it all, the city was also walled up from the river by old, degraded factories, warehouses and railings.


In 1994, the new political team leading the municipality had absolutely no experience in municipal administration, however they had diverse higher education and skills, vast professional experience, and as citizens they were actively involved in social and cultural associations. This team’s priority was to develop a Strategic Plan and for this it called more than 70 institutions and local individuals.
 

The city’s Strategic Plan was developed in 1994/95 with the help of that large team who gathered information on what was restraining the city’s development and made a needs analysis to discover potentials and define aims for the future, such as:

- The conservation of historical buildings, namely in the medieval city centre, the recovery of green spaces and environmental education, the promotion of values relating to cultural heritage, modernization of the schools, economical revitalisation and improvement of urban life.



- The substitution of landfills for modern waste management facilities with the selective collection of solids, and recycling, a modern sewer system and the construction of water treatment plants and the cleaning of urban and nature areas such as the 24 km of coast.  

- The demolition of walls and old buildings which impeded the access to the river and the sea, the revitalization of public areas, mobility improvements in the city by making certain roads and squares only accessible to pedestrians hence removing traffic from the city centre. This was supported by the construction of 3000 underground parking spaces.

All these aims were successfully attained.

Following the foundation of the Portuguese Healthy Cities Network in Viana do Castelo in 1997 and the subsequent participation in the European Network, the aims of urban regeneration became more ambitious and led to the creation of the Healthy City Office (HCO). This office reunites all of the municipality’s resources and knowledge and actively involves the community.


Further measures were taken to promote the idea of making Viana a healthy city, following the public hearing and subsequent approval of the city’s Urban Plan in 1998. An example of urban development.

In 1998 the preparation and subsequent approval, prior to a public hearing, of the city’s urban plan led to new measures to promote the idea of a healthy city. The plan set an example of an open city that was accessible to all its citizens.

In 2000 Viana do Castelo applied for the Polis programme which was promoted on a national basis by the Ministry of the Environment, Land Use and Regional Development. This programme aimed to regenerate urban areas and to raise awareness of environmental problems and standards in cities. From the 44 applying cities, Viana do Castelo’s project was the first to be approved and the one which received the highest investment funds.

The revitalisation of the river and sea front, the conservation of the historical centre, the construction of urban facilities and the building of an ecological city park were the objectives set out in the plan and which 80% have been totally completed.


The ring road together with the car parks, the construction of the joint bus and train station in the centre of the city and the new system of urban transportation that includes electric buses has substantially improved urban mobility in Viana do Castelo, transforming it into a safer and more tranquil city.

The quality of the open spaces next to the river and sea with amenities for recreational and leisure activities, gardens and cycling paths have all been well appreciated by citizens of all ages allowing them to be in more direct contact with nature. To further encourage this contact there are activities and health habits that are continuously promoted by the Healthy City office. The HCO tries to encourage the participation of all age groups and social classes through social gatherings, training and by planning activities for children and the elderly during their free time.  All these activities actively involve institutions of solidarity thus also encouraging the handicapped to participate.

The work carried out by a multi-skilled team in collaboration with the HCO has won prestige as the city and population have taken a more active participation in the initiatives set out by the municipality in favour of a healthier and better lifestyle.

In addition to urban planning and the subsequent implementation which included building plans by well-known Portuguese architectures, the spirit of a Healthy City has spread to other sectors such as schools, cultural movements, housing, privates business entities, physical activities, food, habits of life, cultural and sport gatherings and even in political speeches. Such a small concept with so much diversity in this Healthy ‘diverCity’.

Proud of it history and the valuable natural landscape and architectural heritage, the people from Viana do Castelo started off in the 21st century with very high esteem, as their city was able to provide them with many resources and a unique quality of life, which in turn attracts visitors and investors.