A project to renovate the Vila D’Este residential estate, which took place from 2009 to 2015, received 85 % of its funding from the European Union. The project improved energy efficiency, made the buildings more comfortable for residents and upgraded local facilities.

The Serra do Pilar hill and the monastery of the same name dominate Vila Nova de Gaia’s skyline. As part of the Norte 2020 Operational Programme, a project to strengthen and secure the Serra do Pilar hillside has been approved. The works were important for public safety reasons, since the hillside had begun to show signs of subsidence. This project was supported with over EUR 2 million from the Cohesion Fund. 

As part of a wider effort to renovate school buildings, work has been undertaken to modernise and upgrade Valadares and Sophia de Mello Breyner primary schools, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund at a rate of 85 %. EUR 1.7 million has been spent renovating each school.

Gaia city council launched its GAIA+Sucesso programme in the 2018 academic year to improve academic attainment in schools. The aim is to make classrooms more engaging by incorporating new technologies into schools and equipping students with tablets. The project, which will benefit some 15 000 children in 107 schools, received 85 % of its funding from the European Social Fund.