Accessing the city through new forms of sociability – examples of use of digital social networks in Brazil

Abstract

This article presents examples of new forms of sociability in the city and in the urban public spaces by the use of digital social networks. The article provides an introduction to the use of the Internet as a space that fosters the development of a new sociability based on a massive collaborative culture. Then it presents recent Brazilian examples. In this context, the social networks are seen as a privileged space to share opinions and locate calls to actions that reconfigure urban space – its use and sometimes the space itself. The examples are related to social groups action on the Brazilian cities that have been originated and supported by the platforms used for iteration via social networks. These examples can bring benefits to the reflection on the formation of what might be called “the city as a social network” in part because of the current use and ubiquity of communication technologies in the city.