Enabling local development through digital cities: Examples from Portugal

Bárbara Barbosa Neves

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (Book)Researchpeer-review

Abstract

Digital cities were developed in the midst of the so"called -Information Society," taking advantage of society's uptake of the Internet. In the 1990s, both public and private entities created digital cities primarily as websites, but these projects soon merged the digital and the physical space. The creators of digital cities quickly realised that it was the physical space that gave identity and boundaries to a digital city. This new focus on the inclusion of the physical space made the digital city a complement to a city: a digital tool and strategy used to improve quality of life in the city. Portuguese digital cities are examples of this perspective, as they were created to endorse local development, to modernize local government, to facilitate communication between local government and the community, to empower the local population and institutions, and to support the exercise of citizenship and the growth of digital literacy. This paper explores the findings of a longitudinal study of two Portuguese digital cities, where we assessed their objectives, actions and results concerning local development goals.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationUrban Developments in Brazil and Portugal
PublisherNova Science Publishers
Pages139-157
Number of pages19
ISBN (Electronic)9781614709442
ISBN (Print)9781629481500
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Citizenship
  • Digital cities
  • Digital literacy
  • Local development
  • Portugal

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