Content about Social Issues

In our nation, four out of five teens say they want to be involved in community action and social change, yet only a quarter of young adults actually take part. At Mobilize.org, advocates feel there’s a great untapped resource there of people who want to better their communities. What if all that was needed for our young people was an open door and a chance to contribute?

In an arena historically dominated by city hall meetings, how can planners engage the imagination of the public and capture unique perspectives? Metroplan, central Arkansas's Council of Local Governments and Metropolitan Planning Organization, has recognized the necessity of including as many voices as possible in crafting a new transportation plan.  The Imagine Central Arkansas project (ICA) gathers input from residents of a four-county region about a range of transportation-related issues that the region will face over the next thirty years.  Imagine Central Arkansas showcases a variety of interactive participation methods that can be adopted in comprehensive plan-making.

There are myriad ways to reach citizens in this day and age. Weighing the options of connecting with citizens through mobile apps or web sites, which should we choose in 2012? Has it ever occurred to you that your target audience might not be using the Internet, or may be more prone to access it  in other ways than simply with their PC? Communicating online via your project website is a great first step to broadening your reach and organizing your public outreach efforts. However, it is also important to consider other methods now gaining traction to help you reach out to citizens in alternate ways to engage the citizens of your community in the planning process. 

For philanthropists, policymakers, and anyone who thinks deeply about how to make social progress, the challenge of assessing the potential value of new ideas and tools is a familiar one: we are all trying to figure out which new ways of working and living have the most potential to improve the world, so that we can invest our limited resources in them. A skeptical-but-curious person might ask: what is possible—and fundamentally different—because of a new technology that wasn’t before? Why does it matter? 

How do global networks manifest themselves in everyday life? And how are limited analog spaces reflected in the potentially unlimited realm of the virtual? What can be done to counteract a polarisation of digital and analog living environments? How can digital globetrotters be motivated to relocate their projects, free floating in network environments, in the “flesh and stone” (Sennett) of the cities? What spaces of possibility (linked to the concept of the European city) can be created for the newly emerging modes of living? And by whom? These are just some of the questions that will have focus at next month’s  conference “The City of Flows – Interdisciplinary perspectives on the digital city in analog spaces”

When we think of "public participation" in the planning process, what comes to mind? It probably looks something like this: A weekday evening, a half-full school auditorium, where the same handful of advocates and concerned citizens voice their opinions, as they have many times before. The bicycle enthusiasts want a buffered cycle track, while clean energy advocates insist that the project be LEED Platinum-certified. 

Velo-city Global is the world’s premier international cycling planning conference. The four day event offers delegates from around the world a chance to share best practices for creating and sustaining cycling-friendly cities, where bicycles are valued as part of daily transport and recreation.

How can we understand the travel behaviors and mobility barriers experienced by low-income populations? The answer is both simple and complex at the same time, since it requires considering the entirety of individuals’ lives, not only their travel to and from their workplace. My research team and I gathered data from a relatively small sample of low income individuals through focus group interviews. We augmented the focus group data using additional detailed information provided by key individuals who participated in the preliminary discussions.

A highly inclusive model for public engagement has spurred city revitalization and helped set a precedent for citizen participation in government in a small city on the Ohio River, its surrounding county, and beyond.

Don't miss this Special Interest Track at the 25th Bled Conference - eDemocracy: from eRevolution to eParticipation. The purpose of this Special Interest Track is to shed light on recent developments in this highly topical areas and to discuss exciting new projects, experiences and future (research) directions -especially from a infor-mation systems perspective.

We’ve been keeping our eye on "Community Engagement", a LinkedIn group that encompasses discussion on community building, education, public participation, participative democracy and working in partnership. One of the most popular ongoing discussions has revealed some of the group members’ go-to websites for community engagement in terms of urban planning, support for citizen dialogue, and innovation. Here’s a list of the highlights: