What is Next for Civic Design?

Abstract

This conversation started from the observation that contrasting logics between civic initiatives and institutional approaches often make it challenging for the former to become sustainable and increase their impact. We therefore explored how civic design could enhance the significance of local civic initiatives within institutional settings. The vivid conversation rendered three key orientations in civic design: 1) operating from within the community, 2) focusing on the interaction between civic initiatives and governmental and academic institutions, and 3) taking a transformational perspective on the interplay between civil society and its institutional context in the information age. We identified prompting questions on four important topics, primarily related to the second orientation: listening to citizens, fostering collaborative relationships, ensuring continuity through funding, and scaling or spreading local civic initiatives. These questions contribute to the agenda for next steps on the role of civic design.