Who Shapes the City? Governance, Resistance, and Urban Regeneration in Sant’Ana Hill

Urban regeneration in historic city centers often encounters tensions between planning strategies, public expectations, and heritage preservation. This study examines the redevelopment process of Sant’Ana Hill in Lisbon, a site historically occupied by many hospitals now subject to closure and adaptive reuse. The transformation of all this 16-hectare area has sparked significant public contestation, highlighting governance challenges and the role of citizen engagement in shaping urban futures amid socio-political and ecological shifts. Using a case study approach, this research draws on urban planning documents, public debate records, media coverage, and semi-structured interviews to analyze the political, social, and architectural dimensions of the regeneration process. Findings reveal that prolonged decision-making, opaque governance, and inadequate public participation have fueled uncertainty, delaying project implementation and increasing public skepticism. The study argues that inclusive participatory frameworks and transparent governance are essential to mitigating conflicts in urban redevelopment. This research also contributes to debates on urban voids, adaptive reuse, and participatory planning, offering insights into the dynamics of contested regeneration in historic districts. Lessons from Sant’Ana Hill highlight the need for a more integrated, democratic, and heritage-conscious approach to large-scale urban transformation projects.