Basada en la experiencia del proyecto iCity, describe un workshop con niños en el cual se desarrolla una app que se basa en la API del proyecto iCity. Uno de los propósitos del workshop es animar a los governs a hacer que los niños y... more
Basada en la experiencia del proyecto iCity, describe un workshop con niños en el cual se desarrolla una app que se basa en la API del proyecto iCity. Uno de los propósitos del workshop es animar a los governs a hacer que los niños y ciudadanos en general sean más partícipes de las políticas urbanas y tecnológicas de sus ciudades.
Background: Every energy transition has had its winners and its losers, both economically and in terms of social justice and community cohesion. The current transition is no different given the complex, intersecting matrices of power and... more
Background: Every energy transition has had its winners and its losers, both economically and in terms of social justice and community cohesion. The current transition is no different given the complex, intersecting matrices of power and experience that influence the key stakeholders and actors involved. Local oppositions to the deployment of renewable energy technologies have been significantly higher than expected. In numerous instances, these oppositions have been in reaction to the disempowerment of local rights and entitlements associated with specific developments. Consequently, there is a clear need for governance structures and organisational formats that are participatory, inclusive and mindful of the lived experiences of local people. Despite the knowledge gaps and financial constraints that continue to persist, how can local communities become empowered to drive project development and meaningfully engage in the low-carbon energy transition?
Resumen: Introducción: En el contexto actual de medios y redes sociales digitales, cuando la ciudadanía pasa de consumidora a ‘prosumidora’ de información, comienza a demandar transparencia a los poderes públicos y a tomar conciencia de... more
Resumen:
Introducción: En el contexto actual de medios y redes sociales digitales, cuando la ciudadanía pasa de consumidora a ‘prosumidora’ de información, comienza a demandar transparencia a los poderes públicos y a tomar conciencia de su potencialidad colectiva para cambiar el mundo en el que vive, compra y vota. Metodología: Este artículo recurre a la técnica del estudio de casos para analizar portales de datos en abierto e identificar los elementos tecnológicos y estratégicos que facilitan una reutilización y redifusión colaborativas de la información para la toma de decisiones y la construcción social de la realidad por los ciudadanos. Resultados y conclusiones: Puede hablarse de un ‘movimiento’ de iniciativas basadas en datos abiertos, que liberan información pública de temática fundamentalmente financiera y política; que la organizan atendiendo principalmente a criterios geopolíticos; y que la ponen a disposición de los ciudadanos mediante estándares tecnológicos y modelos de participación que señalan el camino de los cambios.
Abstract:
Introduction: In the current context of digital media and social networks, in which citizens have gone from being consumers to ‘prosumers’ of information, they begin to demand transparency from the government and to become aware of their collective potential to change the world in which they live, buy and vote. Method: This article uses the case study technique to analyse open data portals and identify the technological and strategic elements that make it easier for citizens to collaboratively re-use and retransmit information that allows them to make informed decisions and construct their social reality. Results and conclusions: There is a ‘movement’ of open data initiatives, which are mostly dedicated to release public financial and political information; to organise it mainly according to geopolitical criteria; and make it available to citizens through technological standards and participation models that show the way to achieve change.
In a context where socio-political activism is developed through many tools and channels, several studies question the effectiveness of online actions. In this regard, this article proposes a theoretical approach concerning two different... more
In a context where socio-political activism is developed through many tools and channels, several studies question the effectiveness of online actions. In this regard, this article proposes a theoretical approach concerning two different issues: the advantages and inconveniences of the so-called slacktivism, and the controversies of the citizen empowerment related to the concepts of visibility, video activism and sousveillance.
RESUMEN Este artículo expone que el significado primigenio del concepto de democracia ha sido distorsionado y todavía no hemos sido capaces de implantar diseños institucionales adecuados para ponerlo en práctica. El texto argumenta que el... more
RESUMEN Este artículo expone que el significado primigenio del concepto de democracia ha sido distorsionado y todavía no hemos sido capaces de implantar diseños institucionales adecuados para ponerlo en práctica. El texto argumenta que el ideal democrático debe ser rescatado, y debe ser implementado mediante nuevos diseños institucionales que empoderen a los ciudadanos para participar directamente en los procesos políticos de toma de decisiones. El trabajo trata de identificar, asimismo, qué tipo de innovaciones democráticas sería factible desarrollar a partir de las aportaciones teóricas de destacados académicos. El texto muestra que las mayores dificultades para proceder a un proceso de profundización democrática son de carácter ideológico e intelectual. PALABRAS CLAVE Participación política, democracia deliberativa, democracia liberal, racionalidad económica, racionalidad comunicativa. SUMARIO 1. Introducción. 2. El contexto de crisis de la democracia liberal. 3. Democracia y racionalidad económica. 4. ¿Es posible más y mejor democracia? 5. De la democracia liberal a la democracia deliberativa. 6. Consideraciones finales. Bibliografía. ABSTRACT This article states that the original meaning of the concept of democracy has been distorted and we have not been able to apply appropriate institutional designs to develop it. The text argues that the democratic ideal must be rescued, and should be realized through new institutional designs that empower citizens to participate directly in political decision-making processes. The paper tries to identify, also what type of democratic innovations would be feasible to implement from the theoretical contributions of leading academics. The text shows that the greatest difficulties to carry out a process of democratic deepening are of ideological and intellectual character.
In the post- corona age, liberal attitudes in the society would probably be supplanted by authoritarian policies. Is the question of "Big Government" is back? Will global solidarity lose its ground to nationalist ideologies?
The current process of social transformation is driven by the growth of the culture of transparency and accountability, the sociotechnological development of the web and the opening of public data. This situation forces the media to... more
The current process of social transformation is driven by the growth of the culture of transparency and accountability, the sociotechnological development of the web and the opening of public data. This situation forces the media to rethink their models of social intermediation, converting the growing open data access and user participation into new instruments that facilitate citizen empowerment. Open data can only generate citizen empowerment, facilitate decision-making and democratic action if it can provide value-added information to the citizens. Therefore, the aim of the research is to analyse the competencies necessary to develop information products created with open data. The study used a qualitative methodology based on two instruments: a survey of data journalism experts (university professors of journalism, journalism professional data, and experts in transparency), and an analysis of selected cases of information products created with open data. The results allow the identification of a series of conceptual, procedural and attitudinal skills needed to perform the tasks of collection, processing, analysis and presentation of data, which are necessary for the development of this type of information product, and which should be integrated into the training of future journalists.
The current process of social transformation is driven by the growth of the culture of transparency and accountability, the socio-technological development of the web and the opening of public data. This situation forces the media to... more
The current process of social transformation is driven by the growth of the culture of transparency and accountability, the socio-technological development of the web and the opening of public data. This situation forces the media to rethink their models of social intermediation, converting the growing open data access and user participation into new instruments that facilitate citizen empowerment. Open data can only generate citizen empowerment, facilitate decision-making and democratic action if it can provide value-added information to the citizens. Therefore, the aim of the research is to analyse the competencies necessary to develop information products created with open data. The study used a qualitative methodology based on two instruments: a survey of data journalism experts (university professors of journalism, journalism professional data, and experts in transparency), and an analysis of selected cases of information products created with open data. The results allow the identification of a series of conceptual, procedural and attitudinal skills needed to perform the tasks of collection, processing, analysis and presentation of data, which are necessary for the development of this type of information product, and which should be integrated into the training of future journalists.
While Western planning emphasizes the importance of genuine meaningful citizen participation, the conventional public meeting approach fails to truly engage with the public. Studies have revealed the limitations of this approach to engage... more
While Western planning emphasizes the importance of genuine meaningful citizen participation, the conventional public meeting approach fails to truly engage with the public. Studies have revealed the limitations of this approach to engage and positively impact ethnic communities. However, research has been limited to investigating the inefficiency of the participatory framework from the experts’ perspective. It has not addressed the issue of the lack of ethnic diversity in participatory processes nor have made concrete recommendations for policymakers. The purpose of this research is to explore the urban governance contradiction regarding the attainment of meaningful engagement. This goal is achieved through uncovering how ethnically diverse citizens engage with and are engaged by the municipal participatory framework to understand to what extent this approach meets their needs. The research is conducted through a case study of the eight Scarborough Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (NIAs), which comprise an important share of diverse ethnic groups. This study reviews the NIAs’ participatory process and policies and analyses the output of interviews with representatives of the Scarborough communities, representatives of neighbourhood agencies, and the City to examine participatory processes and uncover ethnic groups’ perspectives concerning the municipal participatory approach.
Series editors: Anna Triandafyllidou and Usha George
Key Words: citizen participation, meaningful public engagement, citizen empowerment, ethnic communities, the City of Toronto participatory framework
The participation of readers in the creation of information products increases the value of the media and the satisfaction of co-creators. Such involvement of the public especially affects productive processes, although without ignoring... more
The participation of readers in the creation of information products increases the value of the media and the satisfaction of co-creators. Such involvement of the public especially affects productive processes, although without ignoring their participation in development and marketing, and implies a democratization of information, personalized experiences, and diverse points of view that favor informative pluralism. In this research we analyze an international sample of five digital native newspapers to verify the extent to which they allow their audiences to co-create content. We use an exploratory methodology to verify the existence of spaces designed for co-creation and prepare evaluation scales for the level of utility of these sites and examine their accessibility from the perspective of citizen empowerment, openness of content, and web architecture. The results show that the degree of implementation achieved by newspapers is lower than may be expected for purely digital media and provide a warning about the need to devise new formulas for co-creation and involve audiences more in generating content, while also indicating the need to review in depth the role of readers as sources. The limitations on citizen empowerment that derive from the absence of advertising in business models restrict open access, while web hierarchies hamper collaboration. The need for citizens to clearly identify which products have been produced by journalists versus co-creators is also diagnosed.
