Research
Current research interests
Requalification of self-produced habitat
Analysis of public spaces
right to the city
Immigration and public spaces
Hortas urbanas
Cities networks
Dialogue netween urban movement and local/regional institutions
Pratices of 'insurgent citizenship'
Public spaces: traditional use and excentric use
Participative management of urban services
Participatory planning and budgeting
Decentralisation
Tecnologias informaticas para a participacao
Participatory processes to support the ecological transition ​
Participatory Budgets at different administrative scales in the 5 continents
The principle of Subsidiarity (horizontal, vertical, circular)
Active citizenship
Informal town and self production of the habitat
Platform Economies
Alojamento estudantil na universalização da universidade
Research Projects
2024-01-01 - 2027-06-30 - "SINCRONY: interSectIonal iNClusion in delibeRation and participatiON with Youth", coordinated by Elvira Cicognani (UNIBO), sponsored by CE - HORIZON EUROPE call CL2-2023-DEMOCRACY-01-07.
Project Partnership:
- ALMA MATER STUDIORUM UNIVERSITY OF BOLOGNA
2023-09-01 - 2024-09-30 - "Democratic Odyssey", coordinated by Kalypso Nicolaidis (IUE - School of Transnational Governance), sponsored by Berggruen Institute and STG-EUI.
Project Partnership:
- IUE (School of Transnational Govdernance) - coord.
2023-07-01 - 2026-06-30 - "Nets4Dem Network of Networks 4 Democracy", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by European Commission.
Project Partnership:
- DEMOCRACY REPORTING INTERNATIONAL GGMBH (DRI) (Coord.)
- DEMOS RESEARCH INSTITUTE OY (DEMOS HELSINKI)
- ASOCIACION CONSORTIUM LOCAL-GLOBAL COGLOBAL (COGLOBAL)
- UNIVERSITET U BEOGRADU, INSTITUT ZA FILOZOFIJU I DRUSTVENU (IFDT)
- TRANS EUROPEAN POLICY STUDIES ASSOCIATION (TEPSA)
- EUROPEAN PARTNERSHIP FOR DEMOCRACY (EPD)
- EUROCITIES ASBL (EUROCITIES)
- OPEN SOURCE POLITICS (OSP)
- The Democratic Society (DEMSOC)
- PEOPLE POWERED (PP-USA)
2022-09-29 - 2025-09-29 - " Accordo di Cooperazione con la Fondazione per l'Innovazione Urbana di Bologna per consulenza sul Bilancio Partecipativo", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by FIU, Bologna, Italy.
Project Partnership:
- Fondazione per l'Innovazione Urbana (Bologna, Italy)
2022-02-01 - 2025-07-31 - "PHOENIX - The Rise of Citizens' voices for a Greener Europe", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by European Commission.
Project Partnership:
- The Good Lobby (Belgium)
- CSIC/IPP (Spain)
- CNRS/Paris 8 (France)
- University of Coimbra/SEF (Portugal)
- ONESOURCE S.A. (Portugal)
- OFICINA (Portugal)
- RES PUBLICA (France)
- Universitá degli Studi di Firenze (DIDA + Dep. Psicology) (Italy)
- University of Szeged (Hungary)
- E-Governance Academy (Estonia)
- University of Iceland (Iceland)
- Southempton University (UK)
- University of Groningen (The Netherlands)
- Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Foundation (Italy)
2021-22-03 - 2024-21-03 - "UNpacking POPulism: Comparing the formation of emotion narratives and their effects on political behaviour", coordinated by Cristiano Gianolla e Lisete Monico, sponsored by FCT.
2020-11-02 - 2022-11-01 - ""CITTA' SENZA UNIVERSITA' / UNIVERISTA' SENZA CITTA': abitare la città universitaria dopo l'emergenza COVID19"", coordinated by Patrizia Messina (Universitá degli Studi di Padova), sponsored by Sid-BIRD Universitá degli Studi di Padova.
Project Partnership:
- Universitá degli Studi di Padova (coord)
2020-07-01 - 2022-06-30 - ""PRE-PLAN. PREventive PLANning for disaster resilient territories"", coordinated by Massimo Sargolini, sponsored by FAR 2019 - Universitá di Camerino.
Project Partnership:
- Universitá di Camerino
2020-03-01 - 2024-11-30 - "Inova Juntos - Cooperação Urbana Triangular para Inovação e Sustentabilidade", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Europeaid - EU Commission.
Project Partnership:
- CNM - Confederção Nacional dos Municipios do Brasil (coordenador)
2020 - 2021 - "Cooperation Agreement with Fondazione per la Innovazione Urbana (Bologna)", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Fondazione per la Innovazione Urbana (Bologna).
2020 - 2021 - ""PRODEMO - Promoting Democratic engagement through Mobile participation"", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by EU -"Rights, Equality and Citizenship Program" grant.
Project Partnership:
- Gianluca Sgueo (University La Sapienza, Rome)
2019-31-01 - 2020-31-01 - "Accordo di Cooperazione con la Fondazione Feltrinelli per studi su Innovazioni Democratiche", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Feltrinelli Foundation.
Project Partnership:
- Fondazione Feltrinelli (Milano, Italy)
- Luiss University (Rome - Italy)
2019-03-01 - 2020-03-01 - "Participatory Budgeting in Figueira da Foz (Cooperation Agreement)", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Camara Municipal de Figueira da Foz.
2019-02-28 - 2020-06-30 - ""IDEE IN FUGA / IDEAS ON THE RUN - The first Participatory Budgeting in Bollate Prison"", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Civic crowdfunding.
Project Partnership:
- BIPART (coord.)
2019-02-01 - 2019-09-30 - "Assessment of CSOs' and citizens' engagement in public budgetary process at national and local level in the Republic of Moldova", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by FWC SIEA 2018- LOT 3: Human rights, Democracy and Peace - EuropeAid/138778/DH/SER/multi.
Project Partnership:
- ICE GEEI (coordinator)
2019-01-01 - 2021-12-31 - "Platform Labour in Urban Spaces: Fairness, Welfare, Development - PLUS (Grant Agreement no.: 822638)", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Horizon2020 Program of the European Commission .
Project Partnership:
- University of Bologna (coordinator)
2018-10-01 - 2023-06-30 - "DEMOSCAN (External Observer of Bellinzona Experiment)", coordinated by Nenad Stojanović, sponsored by Fonds National Suisse de la recherche scientifique, projet 176760.
Project Partnership:
- Université de Geneve (coord.)
2018-06-01 - 2023-05-31 - " URBiNAT | Urban Innovative and Inclusive Nature", coordinated by Gonçalo Canto Moniz, sponsored by EU - Horizon 2020.
2018-01-31 - 2019-01-31 - "Orçamento Participativo de Oliveira do Bairro", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Camara de Oliveira do Bairro.
2018 - 2022 - ""Constitution-making and deliberative democracy" (COST Action CA17135)", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).
Project Partnership:
- University of Louvain-la-Neuve (coordinator)
2017-04-01 - 2022-03-31 - " Instituto da Democracia e da Democratização da Comunicação", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by National Council of Technological and Scientific Development Minas Gerais State Agency for Research and Development - Brazil.
Project Partnership:
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - Brazil (coordination)
2017-03-01 - 2019-10-31 - "SMART URBAN INTERMEDIARIES (CES is a cooperation partner)", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Urban Europe (ERA-NET, funded by the European Commission) .
Project Partnership:
- Tilburg University
- The University of Edinburgh
- Roskilde University
- University of Birmingham
- Danish Town Planning Institute
2017-03-01 - 2017-05-31 - "Evaluation of the Cooperation Project "CARITALENTS" coordinated by the University of Florence", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Cooperation Agency of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Project Partnership:
- University of Florence (Faculty of Architecture), Italy
- University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, Barbados
2017-01-01 - 2017-12-31 - "COMUNIX", coordinated by Rita Serra, sponsored by Erasmus +.
Project Partnership:
- Cooperativa Trespes - Galicia
- Partecipanza di Nonantola (Italia)
2016-08-01 - 2018-12-31 - "FOINCIDE - FORTALECIMIENTO INSTITUCIONAL Y CIUDADANO PARA EL DESARROLLO TERRITORIAL", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by SIDA (Swedish International development Agency).
Project Partnership:
- SKL International (Coord.), cooperation branch of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR)
- Colombia´s National Department of Planning (DNP)
2016-07-01 - 2016-12-31 - "Avaliação do Projecto Pro.Con.Sal da ONG Africa 70", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Commissão Europeia - atraves da ONG Africa 70.
2016-03-01 - 2019-12-31 - "PARTICIPEDIA", coordinated by Mark Warren (UBC - Canada).
2016-01-01 - 2017-12-31 - "DUPLA PAZ", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italia.
Project Partnership:
- OIKOS (ONG) - Italia
2016-01-01 - 2017-12-31 - "EMPATIA - Enabling Multichannel Participation Through ICT Adaptations", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by European commission - Horizon2020 - CAPS call - Agreement N. 687920.
2016-01-01 - 2017-12-31 - "UNISOST -Universita' della Sostenibilita'", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Fondazione Cariplo - Italia.
2014-12-01 - 2016-12-31 - "Participatory Budgeting in Sweden", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by SALAR/SKL (Sweden).
2014-10-01 - 2016-04-30 - "Portugal Participa", coordinated by Nelson Dias, sponsored by Fundação Gulbenkian.
2014-02-01 - 2015-06-30 - "GOLD IV - THink Piece on "Inclusive cities and territories"", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by UCLG (United Cities and Local Governments).
2013-03 - 2014-02 - "Indagine sulle attività partecipative attuate dalle strutture del Comune di Padova che si occupano di Decentramento, Associazionismo, URP e Rete Civica 2009-2012", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Camara de Padua, Italy.
2013-01-30 - 2013-06-30 - "The Inclusive City and the Use of Community-based Monitoring for Poverty Reduction - Overview of International Experiences", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by GIZ/UCLG.
Project Partnership:
- Nancy Duxbury
2012-08-01 - 2013-01-15 - "Updating of the World Report on Participatory Budgeting", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Engagement Global gGmbh Service für Entwicklungsinitiativen, GIZ.
Project Partnership:
- Mariana Lopes Alves
2011-10-30 - 2014-01-30 - ""Habitus Cosmopolita ou Internacionalização Funcional? A construção da alteridade em contexto de mobilidade acadêmica internacional"", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by ESPM - Brazil.
2011-07-08 - 2013-09-30 - "Cidade e Alteridade: convivência multicultural e justiça urbana", coordinated by Boaventura De Sousa Santos, sponsored by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia/ CAPES.
2010-04-01 - 2013-04-01 - "O Orçamento Participativo como instrumento inovador para reinventar as autarquias em Portugal e Cabo Verde? Uma analise critica da performance e dos transfers. Giovanni Allegretti, Centro de Estudos Sociais ", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by FCT (PTDC/CS-SOC/099134/2008).
2010-01-01 - 2012-12-31 - ""Democracia, participaciòn y espacio politico: un estúdio comparado"", coordinated by Ernesto Ganuza (IESA, Cordoba, Spain), sponsored by CSIC - Spain.
2010-01-01 - 2012-02-29 - "PARLOCAL", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Commissão europeia.
2008-01 - 2009-12 - "Acesso formal dos imigrantes aos espaços políticos no contexto local: eleitores e eleitos nos municípios e freguesias portugueses.", coordinated by Fernando Ruivo (CES-FEUC), sponsored by FCT.
2008-01 - 2008-12 - "Orçamento Participativo: mais participação, melhor democracia", coordinated by Nelson Dias (Ass. IN LOCO), sponsored by EQUAL.
Project Partnership:
- Assoc. IN-LOCO, CEFA, Camara de Palmela, Junta de Freguesia de Carnide, Camara de São Bras de Alportel
2008 - 2005 - "Participatory Budgets in a European Comparative Approach. Perspectives and Chances of the Cooperative State at the Municipal Level in Germany and Europe", coordinated by Yves Sintomer, sponsored by Hans-Böckler Stiftung e Centre Marc Bloch (Berlim).
2006 - 2008 - "Les dispositifs participatifs locaux en Ile-de-France et en Europe : Vers une démocratie technique ?", coordinated by Yves Sintomer, Maria Helene Bacqué, sponsored by PICRI/IDF (Région Ile-de-France) - CNRS França.
Project Partnership:
- MR Culture et Sociétés Urbaines CNRS/Université de Paris 8/Università La Sapienza (Roma)
2005 - 2006 - "INCLUIR - El Presupuesto Participativo como instrumento de lucha contra la exclusión social y territorial", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by UE/URBAL.
2003 - 2004 - "Sviluppo di Comunità e partecipazione", coordinated by Ivano Spano, sponsored by MIUR (Italia).
Project Partnership:
- Università di Padova/Università di Firenze - Dipartimento di Urbanistica
2000 - 2001 - "Nuove rappresentazioni identitarie e scenari strategici di sviluppo locale ", coordinated by Giancarlo Paba, sponsored by MIUR.
1998 - 2001 - "Per uno sviluppo locale autosostenibile: teorie, metodi ed esperienze ", coordinated by Alberto Magnaghi, sponsored by MIUR/Italia.
Project Partnership:
- LaPEI
1997 - 1998 - "A centralidade do 'presente histórico' na projecção de 'lugares irresolutos'. Formas e instrumentos conceituais e operativos para interpretar as identidades do território", coordinated by Giovanni Allegretti, sponsored by Ministério da Universidade e Pesquisa da Itália.
Networks
CIDOB - Global Cities Scientific Council
CISDP-DH (Committe on Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy and Human Rights of UCLG)
DIALOP Transversal Dialogue between Socialist/Marxists and Christians. In
Global Participatory Budgeting Hub
INURA (International Network of Urban Research and Action)
KNOCA - KNOWLEDGE NETWORK ON CLIMATE ASSEMBLIES
OIDP (Observatorio Internacional da Democracia Participativa) - com sede em Barcelona
Plataforma Global pelo Direito à Cidade