The places of civic innovation, from the ladder to the house of participation

Insights on the civic labs experience in Portugal

José Carlos Mota and Alexandra Ataìde
University of Aveiro

This seminar is part of the “Design-oriented Communities” international research that explores and discusses urban regeneration starting from the recent activation of emerging territorial communities in different countries. This is an occasion to reflect on sharing knowledge, intermediate forms of organisation and management, and the nature of adequate planning tools and policies.

The event aims at sharing the outcomes of the work carried out by the University of Aveiro, Department of Social, Political and Territorial Sciences, on the issue of civic labs in Portugal as socio-technical spaces that promote civic participation, discussing potentials and limitations.  Through actions proposed by civic labs, environmental sustainability and inclusiveness stands out, highlighting promising paths towards ecological and spatial transition.