Porto takes part in a European project on eco-rehabilitation in historic centres

Porto is part of the ENERPAT, a European project aimed at finding sustainable and energy efficient solutions to rehabilitate the built heritage, especially in city historic centres.

The Casa do Infante hosts on March 22 and 23 the first symposium devoted to this topic.
The event is organised by Sites et Citès Remarquables de France. 

Councillor for Housing and Social Cohesion at Porto City Hall, Fernando Paulo opened the proceedings at this conference, and explained the crucial political importance of Porto Historic Centre, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996, and boasting more than 2000 years of history.

"Porto City Hall has sought to adjust its policies to historic centre's needs so as to avoid an exodus from historical sites, boosting urban rehabilitation and creating the conditions for people to reside in those sites", he stated.

The ENERPAT project is financed by the community programme INTERREG SUDOE, and seeks to develop and to promote solutions for eco-innovation and rehabilitation of old buildings in the context of residential housing, which can be replicated in the Southwest Europe area (SUDOE).

It is up to the partners the finding of territorial eco-renovation strategies and a multi-criteria methodology targeted at the historic centres.

The cities that are part of ENERPAT mirror the diversity of the urban network in the SUDOE area: Porto (a metropolis), the Spanish city of Vitória (medium to large scale) and Cahors, in France (a smaller city), and the project leader.

The event kicks-off with a round table on the topic "understanding built heritage at city Historic Centres towards a durable rehabilitation".

The programme of activities also includes tours and visits to public housing projects in the Historic Centre of Porto.

Porto City Hall participates in this project with associate partners, including the University of Porto, the ESAP, the Regional Directorate of Culture in the North region, the AICCOPN and DomusSocial, MC.