PPGIS platforms have been widely used to map social actors since the emergence of open access webGIS platforms. This identification of citizen initiatives is based on the physical location, but is rarely combined with social networking. This research seeks to close that gap by using the platIC web-based mapping tool for citizen initiatives, together with their interrelationships. Therefore, a methodical procedure has been defined to construct a geolocalised graph by identifying and categorising linked nodes. Method steps have been tested in three case studies in the Malaga region: Malaga city, Benalmadena, and Valle del Genal. They were selected for a comparative analysis in three different urban and socio-economic scenarios, namely: a tourist destination with a high density of Spanish population and floating city users; a sun-and-beach destination with a significant presence of resident foreign population; and a rural area suffering from depopulation, respectively. Mapping reveals a higher density of citizen initiatives in central urban areas and with social conflicts. Social graphs show a wider interconnection of nodes in rural areas, but isolated nodes are spread more widely there. Monitoring active citizen initiatives could serve as a basis for local administration to involve the citizenry in the management of current issues in the urban and rural context. Future research may promote new plugins to improve participatory process through webGIS platforms.
This paper investigates the evolving clustering and historical progression of “Asian regionalisms” concerning their involvement in multilateral treaties deposited in the United Nations system. We employ criteria such as geographic proximity, historical connections, cultural affinities, and economic interdependencies to identify twenty-eight candidate countries from East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia for this empirical testing. Using a social network analysis approach, we model the network of these twenty-eight Asian state actors alongside 600 major treaties from the United Nations system, identifying clusters among Asian states by assessing similarities in their treaty participation behavior. Specifically, we observe dynamic changes in these clusters across three key historical eras: Post-war reconstruction and transformation (1945–1968), Cold War tensions and global transformations (1969–1989), and post-Cold War era and globalization (1990–present). Employing the Louvain cluster detection algorithm, the results reveal the evolution in cluster numbers and changes in membership status throughout the world timeline. The results also identify the current situation of six distinct Asian clusters based on states’ inclinations to engage or abstain from multilateral treaties across six policy domains. These findings provide a foundation for further research on the trajectories of Asian regionalisms amidst evolving global dynamics and offer insights into potential alliances, cooperation, or conflicts within the region.
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