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Does happiness fit in cities? Where we live or spend most of our days has a very tangible impact on our lives, how we envision our future, and our imagination of possibilities. Do we have access to housing? Are there professional opportunities? Do we feel welcome on the streets we walk every day?
Does Lisbon make you happy? is an audiovisual journalistic project that has as protagonists young people who frequent the cityWe will listen to people from every parish, seeking to understand how a capital that transforms daily responds to the concerns and desires of a generation in constant reinvention.
Between a report on what it's like to be young today, live initiatives, video interviews, and a documentary, discover everything that's part of this project below.
Twenty-five young people, who live in or frequent Lisbon's various parishes, share their thoughts on the city in a video interview we publish weekly. Find out who we spoke to and when you can read each interview.
You'll be able to see this project off-screen on two separate occasions: in October 2025, during a live discussion with experts, and in March 2026, at the launch event of the documentary "Does Lisbon make you happy?". Does Lisbon make you happy?It all happens at the Goethe Institut in Lisbon, and entry is free. Come discuss ideas with us.
OCTOBER
2
19:00
Goethe-Institut Library, Lisbon
Debate The Age of Uncertainty: Challenges of Contemporary Youth
Youth is a fluid concept, shaped by the social and cultural transformations of its time. Factors such as demographics, territory, access to education, and family environment play a decisive role in shaping individual trajectories. Today, these trajectories are increasingly affected by challenges such as the housing crisis and labor market instability, which exacerbates inequalities and raises concerns among experts. In this conversation, the researcher Isabel Menezes, the researcher João Seixas and the director of the Observatory of Inequalities (CIES-IUL) Renato Carmo discuss the challenges faced by young people and how they can shape society in the future.
MARCH
31
Goethe-Institut Library, Lisbon
Launch of the documentary "Does Lisbon make you happy?", followed by a talk including the young people interviewed and experts
We present for the first time "Does Lisbon Make You Happy?", a documentary that seeks to paint a portrait of what it's like to be young in Lisbon. By combining the perspectives of 25 young people who frequent the city with the insights of experts, we aim to understand how the places we move around impact our well-being. The screening will be followed by a conversation with some of these protagonists.
What exactly does it mean to "be young"? In this report, we speak with experts to understand the impact of factors such as territory, demographics, and education level on the concept of youth.
SEPTEMBER 29, 2025
Being young today is substantially different than it was a few decades ago. The concept of youth is not static and is linked to the surrounding social and cultural dynamics. Aspects such as demographics, geography, education, and family context influence current and future lives. The latter has been increasingly conditioned by the housing crisis and job insecurity, exacerbating inequalities, which worries experts.
