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Revista de Arquitectura accepted for inclusion in SciELO Chile collection
Call for Papers Revista de Arquitectura N. º 49.
ARCHITECTURE, URBANISM, AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: POISON OR MEDICINE? + FREE THEME
Deadline for receipt of articles: September 7, 2025
Guidelines for authors: https://dearquitectura.uchile.cl/index.php/RA/about/submissions
Places in motion: the experience of digital nomads in Lisbon
Authors
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Fernanda Freitas
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2413-9408
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Cristiane Rose Duarte
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7006-8279
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Mohammed Boubezari
Universidade Lusófona
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9102-7414
Abstract
Architecture creates places by merging subjective experience and physical space. Digital nomadism challenges the static notion of place, as its practitioners temporarily inhabit different cities thanks to remote work. This article explores the notions of place and belonging within this mobile context, reflecting on how architecture and cities respond to new temporary forms of habitation. Through participant observations and interviews conducted in Lisbon, the role of both digital and in-person communities in the construction of belonging and their interactions with urban space is analyzed, using the concepts of “Architectural Place” and “Third Places.” The results show that these transient inhabitants reconfigure spatialities and intensify inequalities, while generating senses of place linked to mobility. Based on these findings, the article proposes reconsidering the role of architecture in emerging forms of habitation.
Keywords:
Mobile communities, contemporary living, Lisboa, place, digital nomadsReferences
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