Marvila Masterplan Advances Lisbon’s Riverfront Transformation Through Resilient Urban Design

A fragmented stretch of Lisbon’s eastern riverfront is about to be transformed into a connected, landscape-driven urban district. The Lisbon City Council recently approved the Marvila Masterplan, one of the largest redevelopment projects currently underway in Portugal’s capital. 

Designed by MVRDV and OODA with LOLA Landscape Architects and Thornton Tomasetti, the 28-hectare development will create about 1,400 homes alongside public facilities, commercial space, and essential services. Organized into four connected districts, the plan replaces a long-divided industrial landscape with an integrated network of public space, mobility routes, and green infrastructure. 

CFD Modeling and Integrated Sustainability Planning for Marvila

Thornton Tomasetti is providing sustainability master planning, structural engineering, CFD modeling, climate risk and resilience assessment, and mobility planning services for the project. Our scope also includes site-wide energy, water and waste strategies, passive design approaches, resilient site development, integrated energy resilience, and soft mobility consulting. 

Reconnecting Lisbon’s Eastern Riverfront Through Reuse, Connectivity, and Public Spaces

A key focus of the Marvila Masterplan is connectivity and reuse. Existing barriers such as railway infrastructure will be transformed into new links through decks, parks, and pedestrian routes, while a central green corridor ties the four districts together and supports biodiversity, water management and public activity. 

The development also incorporates heritage assets, renewable energy systems, and a mix of housing types to encourage social diversity and year-round activity. Following public input, the project will now move into environmental assessment and implementation phases.

Planning a complex urban redevelopment? We can help integrate sustainability, resilience, and structural strategies from the earliest stages of planning