Carlos Smaniotto Costa

Rivers could play an important role in urban development, in climate and environmental action, provided they receive careful attention. This guiding theme took into account a reflection on the social, cultural and structural role of a watercourse in a low-income neighbourhood in the city of Curitiba (Brazil). The objective of the research is to attain an overview of the river recovery and its integration as a linear park into the urban fabric. To achieve this, variables were defined towards a qualitative evaluation of the Cajuru Linear Park features and attributes, and this for both nature conservation and use patterns of the park. It encompassed desk surveys and directed field observations. As a linear park, it was created to mitigate territorial imbalances and to significantly contribute to the environmental sustainability of the watercourses - a highly endangered ecosystem in the city. A main attribute of the linear park is being used as a border mark between Curitiba and a neighbouring city. This calls for a renewed attention for planning and management of the park. Therefore, research plays a vital role for well-informed policymaking.

Throughout history, rivers have been crucial for the establishment and flourishing of human settlements. Nevertheless, rivers frequently underwent substantial alterations, often to their detriment. Through unsustainable practices like straightening, channelising, and burying, and with their natural banks replaced by infrastructure, rivers slowly receded from public view and disappeared within cities. Land use transformation and urbanisation actively provoke numerous problems for the urban environment, from flooding and erosion to landslides, to the emergence of unhealthy living spaces, widespread rubbish pollution, and increased disease risks. Rivers are often unfairly viewed only for their detrimental effects. However, the pressing challenges of sustainability and climate change are now compelling cities to devise innovative strategies that will fundamentally transform and enhance their urban environments, both ecologically and socially. Active stakeholder involvement is crucial for successfully co-creating an inclusive and resilient territory. This endeavour is precisely what this chapter focuses on, exploring how stakeholders contribute to urban river recovery, and ultimately aiming to deepen our understanding of the vital link between rivers and communities. Methodologically, a stakeholder mapping approach is created to examine and comprehend stakeholder engagement within the case studies provided by the RUN Project, a collaborative effort across eight Ibero-American countries. To understand stakeholders’ potential, two distinct levels are analysed, the local level and a broader level across the Ibero-American RUN Project network. Each case is a complex process, involving multiple criteria, agents, scenarios, and territories. This method allows us to map the complex webs within river recovery initiatives. The results show how different stakeholders are connected, who wield power, and where improvements in management and collaboration can be made. Crucially, it also reveals what is lacking in both the restoration process and stakeholder participation.

Purpose: This article discusses the role of the digital curator in cultural heritage, highlighting trends in training programs and best practices of museums in the digital age. It emphasizes the potential of geolocation in a Web Geographic Information System (Web-GIS) environment to enhance the accessibility and preservation of digitized museums. The analysis, conducted as part of the “DCbox – Digital Curator Mapping and Design” project, emphasizes the need for professionals specializing in digital cultural heritage and redefines the digital curator as a mediator between culture, technology and global audiences. Design/methodology/approach: The study explores the evolution of the curator’s role since 2000, examining opportunities and challenges of digital humanities and analyzing EU-funded projects and emerging trends. It focuses on the incorporation of digital technologies by museums through geolocated analysis, proposing a customized educational program for training professional digital curators. The conclusions and recommendations of the report are based on a thorough analysis of national situations and case studies from neighboring countries. Findings: The analysis of training programs and museum best practices led to the proposal of a customized educational program aimed at training professional digital curators. This program considers various multidisciplinary areas, blending specific topics and subjects to achieve a unique set of functional skills, encompassing both theoretical and practical aspects. Originality/value: The innovative aspect of this paper is the approach to geolocating digitized museums through a Web-based GIS, providing detailed informational profiles of various offerings, including augmented, virtual, mixed reality and virtual tours.

O ecoturismo constitui uma tipologia de turismo desenvolvida em contextos naturais, cuja finalidade assenta na promoção simultânea da conservação e na preservação ambiental e na melhoria das condições de vida das comunidades locais. Na ilha de São Tomé, as comunidades ribeirinhas são, historicamente, dependentes dos rios para satisfazer as suas necessidades básicas. Contudo, observa-se um paradoxo entre essa dependência e a progressiva degradação dos rios. Este contributo visa compreender os diferentes usos dos rios pelas comunidades locais, identificar lacunas de conhecimento e orientar futuras linhas de investigação no sentido da integração do ecoturismo fluvial como instrumento de conservação ambiental, governança participativa e desenvolvimento comunitário sustentável. Este estudo realiza uma revisão integrativa da literatura científica sobre o ecoturismo, recorrendo à análise de inquérito a três setores urbanos dos Rios Abade, Manuel Jorge e do Ouro. A revisão destaca a importância da boa governança, do envolvimento comunitário, da formação local, preservação do ecossistema natural e revitalização fluvial. O ecoturismo fluvial constitui assim uma oportunidade para a conservação dos rios em São Tomé, enquanto promove o desenvolvimento comunitário. Pretendese com o estudo reforçar o debate sobre turismo sustentável e a gestão dos rios, destacando o modelo de Community-Based Ecotourism (CBET) como uma solução promissora para equilibrar a preservação ambiental com o progresso socioeconómico do turismo sustentável para as cidades.

In urban environments, water is an essential element for survival, embodying diverse meanings, paradigms, and usage patterns while also serving as a vital energy source. However, rivers are among the most vulnerable ecosystems within cities, particularly in the context of climate change. The intersection of social and environmental issues reflects contemporary urban society, where the nexus between cities, green spaces, and the natural heritage represented by urban rivers is pivotal for fostering sustainable urban environments. Through participatory and co-creative processes, Creative Partnerships leverage civic engagement in spatial development across varying scales and contexts. They develop tools and collaborative cartography to promote a socio-spatial agenda that advocates for social and environmental rights. By adopting a citizen science framework, Creative Partnerships aim to transform citizens into active political agents, engaging them in the assessment and preservation of local ecosystems. Central to this endeavor is the development of participatory mapping and design tools.

Angola’s cultural mosaic and ethnolinguistic diversity reflect the multilocational traditional customs and power, which are key to the country’s social organisation. A Soba, a traditional leader whose status is recognised by the Angolan Constitution, exerts political influence, shapes the collective life, and helps to preserve cultural identity. Customary law, entrenched after independence, became central to the political and administrative restructuring of the country, which had an impact on decentralisation efforts and legal pluralism. This study analyses the traditional leadership of Sobas in Angola in the context of placemaking and territorial co-management. Backed by the theory of Afrocentricity, a multidisciplinary approach is adopted towards setting Africans as the subjects of their own history. It is based on a literature review and critical analysis of the interaction between administrative law and customary law, which imply a hybrid model for territorial governance. The results indicate that the influence of Sobas on decision-making directly affects the use of the territory and cultural development, highlighting the importance of institutionalising traditional power. This paper suggests that recognising and strengthening such hybrid models is key to promoting territorial cohesion and fostering community engagement, whilst integrating traditional practices can result in more inclusive and effective public policies.

Visual and walking methods promote community empowerment by allowing participants to experience, understand and eventually reshape specific local situations. Such knowledge and decision-making aid help create a shared critical consciousness and provide a collective sense of belonging that boosts proactive citizenship. Participatory practices of directed or random walking through different urban areas open for researchers the possibility of interviewing passers-by and locals in order to enquire about their interactions with the environment and to later “draw a picture” with observations, emotions, comments and proposals. Visual methods, such as photo-elicitation or photo-voice recordings during or after walking sessions, provide participants with the tools to highlight issues and value the quality of places for future change. Participatory research originated from the aim to democratise decision-making, enhance user engagement and address everyday issues. The objective of participatory design is the development of an iterative approach. This method is actively used in various sectors and design contexts, including architecture and planning, education, heritage studies, ethnography, human geography and tourism. Participatory design frequently uses multiple research techniques and focus groups. Despite its simplicity, the walking method holds some problems that are addressed in this chapter; namely, the challenge of finding individuals who represent the community and choosing a specific transect walk which may restrict the analysis to a particular situation only. The walking method as a place-learning experience is reflected in this chapter based on three different experiences, bringing together cases from Spain, Slovenia and Portugal. In Spain, the location is a rural area of the Valencia region. In Slovenia, the method was conducted in a high-density neighbourhood popularly called the Russian Tsar, located on the northern outskirts of the capital city of Ljubljana. From Portugal, the experiences in Agualva e Mira Sintra, a town on the outskirts of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area with strong suburban characteristics, will be assessed.

This article discusses collaborative ethnography as a meaningful source for spatial research, in particular, for participatory methodologies in urban planning and placemaking processes. It investigates the experiences with co-creation and co-research in different research projects to gain insight into the performance of collaborative ethnography as a technique to explore and enrich local knowledge. To better understand the possible causal relationships between the experience gained in the projects and the learnt lessons, we also identify recommendations for improving research methodologies to be applied in placemaking. This article concludes that collaborative ethnography is an effective tool for adding value to spatial co-research and co-creation processes. It opens opportunities for the co-production of space, ideas and knowledge, contributing at the same time to better informed decision-making. It also helps improve ideas and gather insights into the spatial needs of focus groups.

This article discusses collaborative ethnography as a meaningful source for spatial research, in particular, for participatory methodologies in urban planning and placemaking processes. It investigates the experiences with co-creation and co-research in different research projects to gain insight into the performance of collaborative ethnography as a technique to explore and enrich local knowledge. To better understand the possible causal relationships between the experience gained in the projects and the learnt lessons, we also identify recommendations for improving research methodologies to be applied in placemaking. The article concludes that collaborative ethnography is an effective tool for adding value to spatial co-research and co-creation processes. It opens opportunities for the co-production of space, ideas and knowledge, contributing at the same time to better informed decision-making. It also helps improve ideas and gather insights into the spatial needs of focus groups.