AFURADA LIVING LAB
Territory
Community
Afurada has 736,000 square meters and corresponds to the youngest parish of Gaia.
It is a territory with a strong identity, characterized by the close connection of its community to the fishing activity and by an intense experience and use of the public space – which is important to preserve and strengthen.
The Living Lab implementation area is close to the river and strongly influenced by its relation with Porto (in particular with the historic center of Ribeira). Its urban morphology is characterized by small streets and mixed-use townhouses, representing one of the oldest and most recognized areas of the city of Gaia.
Based on the 2011 Census, the implementation area consists of 429 buildings, mostly with 1 and 2 floors, of which 401 (93.5%) are exclusively for residential use. The remaining 28 correspond to commercial or service establishments. The building stock demonstrates the degree of the antiquity of this area, with 72.7% of the buildings built before 1970. Regarding population, this area had 1,236 inhabitants in the same year, which corresponds to a population density of 9,185 inhabit/km2.
Heritage
The public wahshouse stands out as a reference meeting space, a very relevant area in terms of local identity, which includes parking spaces, restaurants and living areas. It was requalified in the works of the riverside waterfrom of Gaia.
Settled on the left bank of the Douro River, near its mouth, this population cluster built an identity based on the river and fishing, which gave it a distinctive character from the rest of the county.
Its pivotal location, between Póvoa do Varzim and Aveiro, two relevant hubs for the fishing activity, contributed to shaping the identity of Afurada, emphasizing the river’s role as the main vehicle of communication with the outside. As in other fishing communities, the public space is seen as a natural extension of the dwelling.
The São Pedro da Afurada festival is closely related to the cultural and religious identity of Afurada, playing an important role in the collective memory of the community and constituting one of its most emblematic manifestations.