La red temática PAUDO es una iniciativa del Centro de Investigación POLIS de la Univesitat de Barcelona y del grupo de Investigación consolidado  Arte-Ciutat- Sociedad, que recoge  la trayectoria desarrollada por la red informal Public Arte Observatory [PAO]. El PAO se constituyó el 1998 a partir de la red Erasmus, coordinada por el prof. John Butler desde la Universidad de Plymouth.  La red, que a excepción de un apoyo de ELIA (European League of Institutions of Art) entre 1999 y 2000, nunca formalizó su existencia ni tuvo recursos propios de desarrollo, se planteó como estas tres misiones:

Actualmente PAUDO es una red temática parcialmente financiada por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Su coordinación recae en el Centro de Investigación POLIS de la Universitat de Barcelona

The PAUDO Thematic Network is an initiative of POLIS Research Center of the Universitat de Barcelona and the Consolidated Research Group -City Art - Society, which includes the trajectory informal network developed by the Public Art Observatory [PAO].

The PAO was established on 1998 as from the Erasmus network, coordinated by prof. John Butler from the University of Plymouth. The network, except for a support from ELIA (European League of Institutions of Arts) between 1999 and 2000, never formalized its existence nor had own funds of development, these three missions were raised:

1. To promote the training and research on issues of public art in the European university system

2. To organize, a series of annual events to enable the exchange of experience and training among the participating institutions

3. To promote the dissemination of public art through the use of information technology and links with local authorities in which resided each of the participating institutions