Large European cities are conditioned by the impact of economic globalisation and increasing migration both from inside and outside the European Union. New forms of poverty are excluding people from a minimal acceptable way of life. The Urban Community Support Programme (CSP) K'Cidade tries to counter this development. The programme aims at improving the quality of life of vulnerable urban groups in Lisbon and Sintra, Portugal. The programme seeks to establish an effective permanent system for communities to plan for and resolve their own needs, with both public and private support. It has received institutional recognition as a result of the mobilisation of a diverse network of partners and aims, to address the challenges facing poor and socially excluded urban communities.