Research

Current research interests

Culture-based development in small cities and rural areas

Cultural mapping

Culture-led development strategies

Culture as an integral component of sustainable communities

Creative tourism

Cultural planning

Research Projects

2022 - 2026 - "IN SITU: Place-based innovation of cultural and creative industries in non-urban areas", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Horizon Europe (European Commission).

2021 - 2022 - "i-Portunus Houses [cultural mobility research]", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Kultura Nova Foundation, on behalf of the European Commission.

2021 - 2021 - "Creative tourism: Fostering tourism and cultural synergies for localized, strategic approaches to revitalization", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Alliance of Guangzhou International Sister-City Universities (GISU Alliance).
    Project Partnership:
              - Université de Québec à Montréal, Canada
              - Western Sydney University, Australia
              - Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Ukraine
              - Guangzhou University, China
              - Durban University of Technology, South Africa

2020 - 2024 - "UNCHARTED: Understanding, Capturing and Fostering the Societal Value of Culture", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by H2020.

2020 - 2023 - "Motricidades do Sul: against the waste of experience", coordinated by Luiz Gonçalves Junior, sponsored by CAPES.
    Project Partnership:
              - Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar - São Carlos/SP - Brazil)

2019 - 2023 - "Creative Economies: Exploring the Nexus of Culture and Tourism in Rural and Peripheral Canada", coordinated by Patrick Brouder and Suzzane de la Barre, sponsored by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC).
    Project Partnership:
              - Vancouver Island University

2019 - 2022 - "CREATOUR Azores - Turning the Azores into a Creative Tourism Destination", coordinated by Carlos Santos and Isabel Albergaria , sponsored by AZORES 2020 (FEDER FSE).
    Project Partnership:
              - Azores Tourism Observatory
              - University of the Azores

2019 - 2020 - "Cultural Mapping, Planning and Impact Assessment for Sustainable and Just Urban Development", coordinated by Rike Sitas, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
    Project Partnership:
              - African Centre for Cities and the SA-EU Dialogue Facility, Cape Town

2018 - 2023 - "URBiNAT: Healthy corridor as drivers of social housing neighbourhoods for the co-creation of social, environmental and marketable NBS", coordinated by Gonçalo Canto Moniz, sponsored by H2020.

2016 - 2020 - "CREATOUR: Desenvolver Destinos de Turismo Criativo em Cidades de Pequena Dimensão e Áreas Rurais", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Portugal 2020 - Programa de Atividades Conjuntas.
    Project Partnership:
              - Centro Interdisciplinar de História, Culturas e Sociedades da Universidade de Évora
              - Centro de Investigação sobre o Espaço e as Organizações da Universidade do Algarve
              - DINÂMIA'CET-IUL, Centro de Estudos Sobre a Mudança Socioeconómica e o Território do ISCTE-IUL
              - Laboratório de Paisagens, Património e Território da Universidade do Minho

2016 - 2018 - "Approaches to Participatory Governance of Cultural Institutions", coordinated by Dea Vidovic (Kultura Nova Foundation, Croatia), sponsored by UNESCO - International Fund for Cultural Diversity.

2016 - 2016 - "'Where is Here?': Small Cities, Deep Mapping and Sustainable Futures", coordinated by Nicole Vaugeois (Vancouver Island University, Canada), sponsored by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC).

2014-09 - 2015-03 - "Just Sustainabilities", coordinated by Marco Armiero, sponsored by International Social Science Council (seed grant).

2014-07 - 2017-06 - "Culturalizing Sustainable Cities: Catalyzing Translocal Learning and Advancement of Emerging Artistic-Cultural Environmental Approaches", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by FCT.

2014 - 2015 - "More Inclusive Cities and Territories ", coordinated by G. Allegretti, sponsored by UCLG.

2014 - 2015 - "Operationalizing Culture in the Sustainable Development of Cities ", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by UCLG.

2012 - 2013 - "The Inclusive City and the Use of Community-based Monitoring for Poverty Reduction - Overview of International Experiences", coordinated by Nancy Duxbury and Giovanni Allegretti, sponsored by Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
    Project Partnership:
              - United Cities and Local Governments

2011-04-28 - 2012-06-30 - "Culture in Sustainable Communities: Improving the Integration of Culture in Community Sustainability Policy and Planning in Canada and Europe", as coordinator researcher, sponsored by Government of Canada (Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada).
    Project Partnership:
              - University of Ottawa

2011 - 2015 - "Investigating Cultural Sustainability", coordinated by Katriina Soini, University of Jyväskylä, Finland, sponsored by European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) Program.

2011 - 2013 - "A Água como Património (dentro de projecto 'Eau comme Patrimoine - experiences et savoir faire dans la réhabilitation des villes d'eau et des paysages fluviaux')", coordinated by Paulo Peixoto, sponsored by Comissão Europeia.

2010 - 2011 - "International Observatory for Local Policies of Social Inclusion", coordinated by Boaventura de Sousa Santos, sponsored by Comisión de Inclusión Social y Democracia Participativa CGLU; Ajuntament de Barcelona.

Networks

Agenda 21 for Culture, UCLG

Associação Portuguesa de Sociologia (APS)

Creative City Network of Canada (honorary membership)

Culturelink

EMES - Research Network for Social Enterprise (from 2021)

ENCATC - European Network of Cultural Administration Training Centres (thematic area: urban management and cultural policy of the city)

European Expert Network on Culture (EENC)

Investigating Cultural Sustainability (COST Action)