Since 2014, the Funchal City Council (CMF), has initiated and developed an Urban Rehabilitation programme of seventy of Funchal’s Historic Centre buildings called “Cidade ComVida.” This project covers an Urban Rehabilitation Area (ARU) of 1.13 km2 in Funchal’s ‘Historic district.
The president of the municipality, Miguel Silva Gouveia, commented that “this programme, which covers the historic centres of Santa Maria Maior, Sé, São Pedro and Santa Luzia, has seen the rehabilitation of around one hundred buildings. At the moment they are concentrating on another seventy properties located in Avenida Arriaga, Rua da Carreira, and Rua do Carmo among others.”
There are currently three ARUs in the Municipality, which include the Ribeira de João Gomes valley in Santa Luzia, and the Corujeira and Tornos area of Monte.
During a speech the Mayor of Funchal stressed that “since 2014 the Municipality has been a central player in the process of reversing the degradation of the city’s historic buildings through the introduction of private initiatives and public space rehabilitations.”
Miguel Silva Gouveia concludes that “over the past few years we have been instrumental in the promotion and conservation of the city’s heritage as a way of preserving and enhancing its attractiveness, centrality and multifunctionality. As such, the CMF remains committed to the rehabilitation of Funchal’s building’s as a way of revitalizing Funchal, repopulating its urban centres, attracting investment, and boosting businesses that help promote job creation and the local economy.”
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
