CEM started its activities in 2001. It is one of the 10 Centres for Research, Innovation and Dissemination of Information (Cepid) maintained by Fapesp to investigate current and constantly evolving areas of scientific knowledge.

Since it started its activities, the CEM has published 14 books and 11 academic dissertations, in addition to 155 articles (118 published in Brazilian journals and 37 in international publications). Ninety six of these articles have been presented at scientific congresses, conferences and seminars.

In terms of the Research conducted, CEM investigations have addressed social and metropolitan processes using topics such as public policies, segregation, poverty, social networking, religion, employment and unemployment, housing conditions, cultural habits and voting behavior.

Its Transference area developed a Geographic Information System (GIS) with variables such as demographics, socio-economical indicators and public policies, filling the gaps of spatial information left by the public sector for at least the past two decades. Currently the SIG has 41 databases and the CEM has trained 450 people in the use of similar systems. An additional product is a CD-ROM containing CEM´s databases, available for free-of-charge distribution.

The Map Servers, developed on the same period, make it possible to draw online maps using databases that cover the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area of the State of Sao Paulo (the latter is a result of the partnership with the Seade Foundation).

The CEM has entered into Public Sector Cooperation Projects, governed by 17 contracts and five partnership agreements with Government agencies in the cities of Sao Paulo, Guarulhos, Embu and Taboao da Serra, as well as in other parts of the State of Sao Paulo.

The Diffusion area of CEM, in association with ECA-USP, produces documentaries such as Em Transito, À Moda do Centro , 5 Mulheres de Paraisópolis and   Inventar no Cotidiano. Also available on this site is the series, Dossiê Periferia (Periphery Dossier) done in partnership with TV Cultura and the electronic magazine DiverCIDADE which accompanies with a journalistic eye, the production of CEM and makes use of the multimedia possibilities of the internet including written materials, photographic essays and video reports that deal with the metropolitan theme.

The first group of activities under the same umbrella of the project Cepid/Fapesp was developed from 2001 to 2005. CEM partnered with the Seade foundation, the School of Architecture and Urbanism (FAU) at USP, the School of Communications and Arts (ECA) at USP and SESC/SP.  Based on the advances made there, a second academic project that would span from 2006 to 2008 with emphasis on studies about the reproduction of social inequalities in metropolises was proposed to Fapesp. In this phase, the partnerships with Seade Foundation, the School of Philosophy, Letters and Humanities (FFLCH) of USP, TV Cultura and the School of Communications and Arts (ECA) at USP, SESC/SP and the National Institute for Spatial Research were established.

As a result of the success obtained in these projects, the CEM submitted a proposal to Fapesp for an academic project to run for the 2005-2008 period. This project focuses on the replication of social inequalities within the Metropolis. To enable this project, partnerships were set up with the Seade Foundation, the College of Philosophy, Languages and Humanities of the University of Sao Paulo (FFLCH-USP), the State of Sao Paulo Public Television station (TV Cultura), the School for Communications and Art School of the University of Sao Paulo (ECA-USP), SESC/SP and with the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe).

In 2008, new research projects were elaborated to Fapesp (Cepid - 3rd Phasis) and to CNPq, by means of the National Institutes of Science and Technology program (INCT).

For a more complete assessment of the 2001-2005 period, download the report available in our library.