URBAN VGI NETWORKS AS A PATH for COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE

Abstract

The massive use of contemporary information and communication technology as digital platforms and social networks are ruling social dynamics from urban spaces urban spaces in a remarkable manner. The digital layer of cities became a bidirectional and omnipresent path, creating relational and interactional structures able to exchange data and media. This networked city may be analyzed and debated as a complex open system that demands research concerning communicational plurality and development of urban space representation, considering the increasing of informational and communicational density. Digital traces from social networks developed in PortoAlegre.cc, a collaborative web map registering issues and use of urban space, were used as data input for this research. Social network analysis was used as method for network structures evaluation. The results reveal short paths among network elements, shaped by structures following Small World model. The analysis showed efficient networks for data exchange increasing informational and communicational density. This work contribution is focused on presenting alternative approaches and perspectives for this multidisciplinary area, enhancing the debate about urban space by rethinking its representation and collective knowledge.