Maria Assunção Gato is a researcher at the DINÂMIA’CET–IUL, integrating the "Cities and Territories" research group. The main research interests have been focused on the fields of Urban Anthropology and Sociology, exploring topics such as spatial consumption, values and meanings, social recompositions, lifestyles and residential dynamics in urban territories. In parallel, she has been developing a second line of research focused on cultural, participative and creative dynamics, taking into account socio-economic change and its impacts on the territory and local communities. Maria Assunção Gato is an anthropologist, holds a PhD in Cultural and Social Anthropology and a Master in Geography-Territorial Management from the Nova School of Social Sciences and Humanities, NOVA University of Lisbon. She is currently the editor of the academic journal Cities, Communities and Territories.