Local development initiatives in metropolitan areas' suburban municipalities: a comparative case-study between Amadora (Lisbon-PT) and Diadema (São Paulo-BR)

Amadora and Diadema are two small-sized but densely populated suburban municipalities, territorially contiguous to the metropolises of Lisbon (PT) and São Paulo (BR). In spite of their geographic and socio-economic specificities they both present common and important social exclusion (e.g. housing, unemployment) problems. This paper critically compares the local development initiatives put into practice in these two contexts, evaluating how multiple territorial actors (e.g. political institutions, financial and business associations, NGO’s, civic movements) interact and establish partnerships directed to minimize some of the previously identified issues thus promoting these municipalities’ populations socio-economic development.