The CEM has the following specific goals, divided by area:

RESEARCH:

. Develop new conceptual and methodology approaches to investigate metropolitan issues and enable the study of current changes in the Metropolis and the assessment of their impact.

. Support and update the CEM Geographic Information System (GIS), providing input in the form of socioeconomic, environmental, political and cultural data about metropolitan areas.

. Be a center of reference for documents, studies and other forms of consistent information about the Metropolitan Area of Sao Paulo and other Metropoles.

. Participate in new investigations on issues related to the Metropolis, and encourage the comparison of metropolitan areas around the world.

TRANSFERENCE:

. Develop a Geographic Information System (GIS) data broken down by territories, to be used by urban planners and policy developers.

. Debug and disseminate information about different experiences in public policy, working as a replicator for that area.

. Develop original software to integrate data from different sources.

. Train professionals to use geo-referenced databases to plan and deploy public policies.

DIFFUSION:

. Be a reference to disseminate diagnostics, software and indicators, providing instructions on the use of specialized information.

. Disseminate knowledge about the metropolis using audiovisual products and cultural activities.