Every year Monocle magazine releases its “Quality of Life” survey within the July/August edition of the magazine. The survey ranks cities around the world on their quality of life and in 2023 Lisbon made it to the top ten, being praised as a city which continues to get the simple things right: safety, community, hospitality and proximity to nature.

As someone who’s originally from (much smaller) Porto, Lisbon’s energy can at times feel challenging to me. Between the old-world charms of the historical centre and the energy of an increasingly cosmopolitan capital, there’s a lot to take in. Still, as I wandered the busy streets with my camera, I was surprised at how much community is still a part of Lisbon.

I discovered pockets of green space where locals got together to chat and soak up the sun and observed long lunches enjoyed in a communal fashion.

At the end of the day it’s the relationships between residents which make a city, and in my eyes, it’s these very humane connections which make quality of life in Lisbon special after all.

Commissioned by Matthew Beaman for Monocle Magazine. Words by Gaia Lutz.