This summer, cities around the world are unveiling and expanding new tools and initiatives in the name of civic engagement and digital innovation.
From Los Angeles to Lisbon, local governments are testing different models of outreach and participation with the promise of increasing trust and equity in civic processes and institutions. Ranging from online portals to citizen assemblies, the wave of experimentation in policy and design responds to historic levels of distrust and disengagement in government at all levels.
The question remains whether these new tools deliver on their promises to effectively bring underrepresented communities into decision-making processes and increase transparency and equity in bureaucratic systems. The fear is that one-off civic innovation pilots add a glossy coat of paint to already broken systems without addressing the underlying problems.
Read more at Next City.