Design Data

Throughout the DCitizens, we collaborated in a series of commissioned projects with local community-based organisations in Lisbon. Key to each case study was the concept of co-creation, which was founded on trusted relationships between all project stakeholders. This dataset provides the design data that was used to build the digital platforms for two commissioned projects: (1) Balcão do Bairro, and (2) ComPartilhar. Balcão do Bairro: Empowering Marginalised Communities through a Network of Neighbourhood Walk-in Services “Balcão do Bairro” (BB) is a community-based walk-in service desk in Lisbon, designed to improve access to digital services by assisting those who struggle with using digital platforms, while providing computers and internet access for those who prefer to navigate them independently. Located in low-income neighbourhoods, BB is an initiative that improves accessibility through walk-in services, assisting residents with everything from obtaining a tax card to securing public housing. It works as an intermediary or "middle-out" institution, positioned between grass-roots efforts and institutional hierarchies. The goal of the commissioned project was to assist a network of BBs across Lisbon in management, coordination, and impact assessment through digital technologies. The project was commissioned by the Intercultural European Club and Aga Khan Foundation. We co-created a web platform (https://balcao.dcitizens.eu/) and a series of online tools to support a community of practice composed of the BB network in collaboratively creating instructional materials, organising events, mapping community initiatives, and collecting/analysing qualitative data about BB’s impact. The project began in 2023, and the web platform is now managed by the Aga Khan Foundation, which utilises it as a training and coordination tool among all BBs. ComPartilhar: Infrastructuring a Community Sponsorship Program for Refugees in Portugal Community sponsorship programs are among the most successful resettlement approaches, pairing refugees with community groups to help them become active citizens. The Portuguese Council for Refugees (CPR) reached out to the DCitizens consortium to scale up the Portuguese community sponsorship program through online training. The project started in 2023, and we redesigned CPR’s online training program with new mechanisms to foster community building and collective action in forming sponsorship groups during (and after) training. Unfortunately, this project was decommissioned/cancelled in 2024 due to external political forces. Due to changes in the Portuguese government and in public institutions responsible for immigration, the CPR’s sponsorship program was halted.