INSTITUTO DE GEOGRAFIA E ORDENAMENTO DO TERRITORIO DA UNIVERSIDADE DELISBOA

Their core work

IGOT is the geography and spatial planning institute of the University of Lisbon, specializing in how people move through and interact with places — from Arctic coastlines to European cities. They study migration patterns, urban mobility, social inclusion in cities, and climate adaptation in polar and coastal regions. Their work bridges human geography with environmental change, producing policy-relevant research on urbanization, tourism impacts, and territorial planning. They increasingly focus on how cities can be designed to improve health, equity, and resilience.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015-2018), IGOT's work split between diaspora economics, international trade links, and Arctic/polar environmental research — reflecting a classic geography department covering both human and physical geography. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward urban issues: smart cities, social exclusion, urban health and emotion, and inclusive green transitions. The polar research thread continued (EU-PolarNet 2), but the new projects and especially the coordinated ones (eMOTIONAL Cities, MigYouBra) show a clear pivot toward understanding how cities shape and are shaped by the people living in them.

IGOT is converging on the intersection of urban planning, health, and social equity — expect them to pursue projects where city design meets wellbeing and inclusive transitions.

How they like to work

IGOT operates predominantly as a partner (9 of 12 projects), but has coordinated three projects including their largest (eMOTIONAL Cities, EUR 660K), demonstrating growing leadership capacity. With 150 unique partners across 36 countries, they maintain a remarkably broad network for their size — they are clearly a connector rather than a repeat-partner organization. Their mix of Coordination & Support Actions (5) and Research & Innovation Actions (4) suggests they are valued both for scientific contributions and for their ability to organize multi-country research agendas.

IGOT has worked with 150 different partners across 36 countries, an unusually wide network for an institute of its size. Their collaborations span from the Arctic research community to Southern European urban research groups, with strong transatlantic links (Brazil, diaspora studies).

What sets them apart

IGOT occupies a rare niche: they combine physical geography expertise (polar regions, coastal adaptation) with deep human geography capabilities (migration, urban equity, health). This dual competence makes them an ideal partner for projects that need to connect environmental change with social impacts — a combination few geography departments can deliver at EU project scale. Their Portuguese location also gives them a natural bridge to Lusophone countries, evidenced by their Brazil-focused migration research.

Highlights from their portfolio

• eMOTIONAL Cities
  Their largest project (EUR 660K) and coordinated — an innovative approach mapping cities through residents' emotional and neurophysiological responses to urban environments.
• Nunataryuk
  Major Arctic research project studying permafrost thaw impacts on coastal communities, connecting climate science with socio-economic adaptation through co-design methods.
• SMARTDEST
  Addresses the growing tension between tourism, smart city technologies, and social exclusion — directly relevant to Southern European cities facing overtourism pressures.