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Can social media promote a “meaningful” relationship between communities and local authorities? Lessons from Aveiro, Portugal
José Carlos Mota (jcmota@ua.pt) & Gonçalo Santinha (g.santinha@ua.pt)
Department of Social, Political and Territorial SciencesUniversity of Aveiro - Portugal
POLITICS, LEADERSHIP & STRATEGIC GOVERNANCECan technology give a voice to our communities?
Session 5
This presentation…
a) Argues that increased community engagement in policy making creates important benefits
b) Underlines the importance of social media in these processes
c) Presents a practical case (City of Aveiro, Portugal): the roots and impacts of three related civic initiatives
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
Public participation, community engagement and Social Media
� Public participation & community engagement
� A core component of the official discourse
� The involvement of citizens in decisions about and the
implementations of social and economic change
� Purpose 1: the right for citizens to be involved in the
policymaking process and that their contribution may
promote more sustainable and resilient solutions
� Purpose 2: the increase of public accountability for
decisions concerning the allocation of public resources
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
� The introduction of ICT is making its own powerful
contribution, hand-in-hand with other societal trends
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
� Most eGovernment research and practice over the past
years has focused on the notions of i) eServices/
eAdministration and ii) eDemocracy/eParticipation
Considered as a silo, a rather separate add-on to e xisting organisations and processes
���� providing inputs for public-policy purposes mostly within formal systems
Not applied in a joined-up manner across government functions
� In recognition of this importance, the notion of
‘eGovernment’ has become a major focus within EU main
strategic guidelines (e.g. eEurope 2005, i2010, Digital
Agenda - one of flagships of Europe 2020)
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
� Participation (with the “e” contribution) working well is a
one-piece of a government’s broader policy of openness,
transparency and collaboration
� Although new ICT is not the main cause of wider
government changes, it can certainly be a key enabler and
driver of them
� Social media are creating a way of participation that allow
users to be: i) (not only) passive consumers of content
and services, ii) (but also) active contributors and
designers in their own right � can act as drivers for
collective engagement
A practical case: drawing on experience
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
a) Amigosd’Avenida: a civic movement created in the city of Aveiro (Portugal);
b) Contra o Alboi Cortado ao Meio;
c) Contra a Ponte Pedonal
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
Aveiro in Europe
Case 1-Amigosd’Avenida: a civic movement
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
• A collective blog, • A civic platform, • A collaborative dynamic,• A ‘place’ to debate the future
of Aveiro
Case 1-Amigosd’Avenida: a civic movement
• after a public debate regarding the future of one of its main and historical avenues (2008) a blog & mailing-list were created
• a virtual gathering place to share each ones’ opinion about the avenue and other related subjects;
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
Case 1-Amigosd’Avenida: a civic movement
in four years (2008-2012)
Blog: • 3.000 posts; 120.000 visits;
200.000 pagevisits;Mailing-list: • 340 members & 1.000 messages;
inspired other civic movements and social media networks• Facebook Group ‘Aveiro 2020’
(more than 700 members)
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
Case 1-Amigosd’Avenida: a civic movement
• first year (2008/2009) focusing on how one of the main squares of the city centre could be revived both in urban and cultural terms
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
Case 1-Amigosd’Avenida: a civic movement
• movement launched a manifesto with key issues for developing public spaces with quality in Aveiro (Manifesto pelo EspaçoPúblico);
• a local film society (Cine-clube de Avanca) in collaboration with Amigosd’Avenida promoted a cinematographic activity called Aqui/Here (http://www.aqui-here.com/), with 10 short-films about 10 different public spaces located in 10 cities around the world.
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
• City Council designed a project proposal and applied for funding from the National Strategic Reference Framework (2007-2013).
• The project – Parque da Sustentabilidade (Sustainable Park) –aims at establishing a greenway crossing on a significant part of the city centre;
• Even though legislation foresees public discussion for this type of projects, citizens were essentially informed through the Press.
Case 1-Amigosd’Avenida: a civic movement
• Although the requalification of its historical garden was foreseen, the proposal also included the design of a new road that would split the garden in two units, raising immediately several questions;
• The potential harmful consequences of that proposal for recreational activities, road traffic and not least to the daily lives of residents, created the appropriate conditions to set up in 2010 a civic movement called ‘Contra o Alboi cortadoao meio’ (Against the cut of Alboi in half);
Case 2 –Contra o Alboi Cortado ao Meio
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
• a blog and a Facebook page, with approximately 2 500 friends
• important initiative emerged during the discussions held through digital channels: Alboi Cortado ao meio? Não! (Alboi cut in half? No!), a poster that was disseminated throughout the community
• the film director and musician Joaquim Pavão presented a short-film with a huge impact on the Internet, radio and national TV.
Case 2 –Contra o Alboi Cortado ao Meio
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
Case 2 –Contra o Alboi Cortado ao Meio
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
Case 2 –Contra o Alboi Cortado ao Meio
• the integrated use of web-based technologies allowed spreading efficiently the movements’ activities, helped sensitising people to the issues at stake, enhanced the impact of the activities and citizens’ voice, induced civic engagement and promoted a favourable environment to alter the project’s proposal.
• in October 2011 the local government, facing a sensitive political context changed the initial proposal.
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
Case 3 –Contra a Ponte Pedonal no Canal Central
• The project Parque da Sustentabilidade also envisaged controversial issues, such as the construction of a pedestrian bridge over the central water channel aiming to link the central park Rossio with Alboi neighbourhood and related facilities, like restaurants and bars;
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
Case 3 –Contra a Ponte Pedonal no Canal Central
• Critics:
– Location;
– visual impact in central channel (in the hart of the city);
– gentrification of old neighbourhood;
– lack of global planning ;
– respect of Urban Plan;
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
Case 3 –Contra a Ponte Pedonal no Canal Central
In 9 months:
• 40 citizens – new civicmovement – new mailing-list (more than 1.000 emails)
• 1.670 citizens FB page
• blog http://contrapontepedonalnocanalcentral.blogs.sapo.pt/
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
Case 3 –Contra a Ponte Pedonal no Canal Central
Impacts:
• 3.532 citizens subscribingpetition against that location!
• 4 public meetings - strong social mobilization & Active citizenship
• Social media has provided the desirable boost to place the issue in the national media agenda, with several TV reports and newspaper opinion articles across the country;
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
Case 3 –Contra a Ponte Pedonal no Canal Central
Was produced:
• Technical & Juridical documment;
• Appeal concerning the nature fo the investment in times of difficultiesand finnantial crisis;
• Sent to National Government, Regional Auhtorities, Courts
• Despite all the efforts, the local government did not respond (so far) to any of the challenges proposed;
• But… a new civic movement was born! ‘Movimento Cívico Por Aveiro’
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
Case 3 – … Movimento Cívico Por Aveiro Participative Itinerant Roadmap
Taking advantage ‘Aveiro Participative Budget ‘ a group of citizens from several civic movements submited a proposal -a Participative Itinerant Roadmap,
that was selected in a public voting
in a group of 23 projects.
Idea
Encourage the involvement of citizens and local actors in joint reflection on the future of their neighborhood, parish and county and identifying micro-proposals for action (low-cost, high impact).
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
Key lessons learned
1. The capacity of social media to transform virtual opinions
and ideas into real initiatives
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
� They can help but are not a sufficient condition
� It is fundamental the presence of a central number of persons that
are able to ‘make the wheels go round’ and engage c itizens in
purposive efforts
� The number of participants that embrace these movem ents
through the use of social media is also important, not only in
motivating those already involved and providing fre sh ideas, but
also in amplifying the debate outside local boundar ies
2. The political reaction to civic movements that seek to
counteract policy decisions
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
� There is an overall perception from elected officia ls that civic
movements of this kind have no democratic legitimac y
� There is no tradition in promoting public participa tion outside the
common arenas
� And this often contributes to the disengagement of communities
from civic activities
3. The pedagogic and constructive nature of these civic
movements and the way social media positively
contribute to this purpose
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
� Citizens mainly express themselves when a lot is at stake for them
personally…
� However, they do get involved in such processes whe n they have
more access to information, notice that there is a common share
of ideas amongst the community and that their voice s can be
heard
� Social media can create a good support in this rega rd
4. The recognition of the social media technologies’
significance in promoting citizens’ joint effort to set
direction for their community
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
� A necessary but not sufficient condition for encour aging civic
engagement and public participation in policy makin g processes
� The important role of a small number of key actors to create the
basic conditions for engaging the local community i n discussions
� Although simple web-based technologies may be easy to use, a
lack of digital skills and education is still notic eable (especially
amongst elderly people)
Final remarks…
� An important role for government: to act as a collaboration
platform � it needs to pro-actively articulate with communities and
encourage the use of social media � and indeed communities are
changing from passive consumers to active users/producers
JCMota & GSantinha SMART COMMUNITIES CONNECT - WORLD TOWN PLANNING DAY 2012 Online Conference, 6-7 November
� Case studies show that it is necessary to create the key enablers
and pre-conditions to make things happen (both digitally and non-
digitally)
� But one thing is for certain: the way forward must embrace these
new challenges
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