CITIDEP was born on the 14th September 1996. Therefore, it is still in its take-off stage. Before 1996, we had a long process of reflection, in meetings and brainstorming sessions both in Portugal and USA, as well in multinational forums via Internet. In addition to on-going research cooperation, the main agenda was over the scientific profile and planned activities for CITIDEP, in order to outline the research domain boundaries in Information Technologies and Participatory Democracy, and to define a research focus for CITIDEP. This is still a crucial part of our joint activity.
Among the team of researchers who joined CITIDEP, already working in related areas, many participated in two research projects initiated during 1995 and since then supported by CITIDEP: «Impacts of EXPO98» and «IMS».
The «Impacts of EXPO98» project, coordinated by Professor Timothy Sieber, involves an urban anthropological analysis of the current redevelopment of Lisbon's waterfront, and public perceptions and impacts of developments in this rapidly changing urban zone, in particular due to EXPO 98. Of particular interest is an assessment of public participation in the process. The preliminary studies took place in September 1995. The project is now part of the CITIDEP research agenda, involving six other unit members. The project coordinator was recently awarded a Fullbright Scholarship which allows him to proceed with his work in Lisbon. Meanwhile, there is one forthcoming related publication: "Urban Waterfronts," in "Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Culture". New York: Routledge, 1997.
The «IMS» project (Intelligent Multimedia System) is coordinated by Dr. Pedro Ferraz de Abreu and is part of his Ph.D. thesis research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA. He was awarded a scholarship through CITIDEP, based on a cooperation protocol between the DGA (Environmental Ministry, Portugal) and the DCEA / FCT-UNL (New University of Lisbon) supporting this research, which aims to test and evaluate the use of new Information Technologies (IT) in the review process for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), in particular for Public Consultation.
Among the team work of 16 researchers and experts (11 from CITIDEP) that have been actively cooperating in this project, we can cite the contributions from Prof. Joanaz de Melo's work on EIA Public Consultation, as well from Prof. José Palma's research on the "Interface between IT and Cognition and Psychological Individual Processes", as examples of successful multidisciplinary research collaboration. Partial results of this research (communication: "Participacion y Democracia. La toma de decisiones sociales en la nueva Sociedad de Información") have already been presented at an international conference at the University of Mexico on «Desarrollo, Democracia Y Comunicación», October 96, coordinated by our associate Dr. Alejandro Natal, and at a seminar at MIT, on «Planning Support Systems» (paper: "Metadata for Intelligent Multimedia Systems"), in December 96. Another article ("Current Challenges in EIA Evaluation in Portugal, and the Role of New Information Technologies: -- The Case of S. João da Talha's Incinerator for Solid Urban Waste"), was recently published in a book, «Environmental Challenges in an Expanding Urban World», edited by Reis Machado & Jack Ahern, CNIG, June 97.
By the end of 1996, partially based on the IMS project experience, two other research projects were initiated:
The «RegioNet» project aims to design, implement and test an Internet-based Interactive System to support public debate on Regional Policy. Coordinated by Dr. Nuno Vieira, this project was submitted to the Portuguese Parliament and include the participation of a Leonardo Da Vinci grant holder from the University College London, UK, hosted by CITIDEP.
The «Public access to environmental information» project, coordinated by Dr. Manuel Antunes, aims to evaluate how new IT promote the transparency of public administration and the fulfillment of the 90/313/EU Directive, concerning freedom of access to environmental information. DRARN-LVT (Min. of Environment, Portugal) will fund a demonstration component of this project.
A "start-up" editorial body was created for the CITIDEP international scientific journal «Participatory Democracy».
MIT Urban Studies and Planning Dept. invited Dr. Ferraz de Abreu to coordinate the organization of a series of MIT seminars on «Citizenship, Participation and Information Technologies in City Government over the Next Millennium». A CITIDEP team from 5 countries is helping to organize this event. The Mayor of Lisbon is already invited to participate.
A CITIDEP research group, coordinated by Prof. Rui Ponte, is analyzing and discussing the Green Book on Information Society, the Bangemann Report , and the work of the European Community Information Society Forum.
Based on the experience acquired through these projects, CITIDEP discussed
and approved a preliminary Research Plan [doc. Research Goals]. The identification of priorities and an assessment of the areas where CITIDEP reaches a "critical mass" for focused research is now in progress.
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