Pombaline District versus Global City, the debate of the century! Let's be real here, Lisbon is definitely a world class city. It undoubtedly deserves its own World Heritage Site. I visited in May 2017, and I had a great time there, but my only experience of Pombaline Lisbon was basically a drive-thru. On the taxi from Belem back to the hotel uptown, I requested that we drive through the Baixa area, especially by Praça do Comércio and Rossio. It's quite a grand district, but not because of the landmarks. It's just the structural essence of the district, it just looks formal, maybe even uniform. That uniformity may get bland for some, but not for me, I rather liked the grid pattern and blocky architecture in the heart of a European city.

This isn't just any grid, it's a great project. It's a masterpiece of urban planning and a pioneer in antiseismic architecture, fire safety, and hygiene for cities around the world, especially back in the 18th century when it was built, with stricter guidelines than ever before. Just how monumental this new Lisbon was is enough to stand alone as a WHS. Although I'm not against expanding the site to encompass other districts of Lisbon, this is easily the stronger, more coherent T-list site with a clearer and more manifested OUV, and it has the better chance of inscription as it is.