Oculum Ensaios begins 2017 with numerous changes in its editorial structure following two main lines. The first corresponds to the editorial team’s effort to bring the reader closer to the scientific production in architecture and urbanism: from now on, the Journal is issued every four months. This entails a more intense flux of articles and a better alignment of similar themes in each number, making space for the second change.

There will be a yearly thematic number about strategic and common interest topics of the area respecting ongoing national debates, both in the scientific community and in the Post-Graduation Program by which the Journal is bound since 2000. This year, we will release a special issue (n.2) called “Cultural Ibero-American Patrimony Dossier” with recognized researchers from Spain, Portugal and Cuba as associated editors. In the years to come, our thematic numbers will focus on new themes and issues, with reputable researchers composing the framework of associated editors and specialists from several knowledge areas submitting articles.

The remodeling was carried out within extensive consultation with both the international and national editorial committees of the Journal, which readily responded. We thank them for the collaboration, suggestions of future topics, and for the recommendation of researchers to renew our committee of reviewers, whose work is fundamental for reaching the quality intended for the Journal.

Besides being indexed in Latindex, Redalyc, and ROAD, Oculum Ensaios is now listed in DOI (Digital Object Identifier), the universal identification numeric system. This connects our articles to Plataforma Lattes of Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and many other international platforms.

We are therefore pleased to open the first 2017 number hoping you will all joins us in our new moment and, above all, that you will find the reading as stimulating and enjoyable as usual.

MARIA CRISTINA DA SILVA SCHICCHI Editor-in-chief Oculum Ensaios