Civic Crowdfunding: A Proposal

What do a statue of Robocop in Detroit and a pedestrian walkway in Rotterdam have in common? Much more than you can imagine: in both cases, the construction was funded by the local community via crowdfunding. In the first case, the project was successful, although the dubious value of the statue in question has so far prevented the progress of the project. In the second case, the campaign is proceeding step by step and the conclusion of the project is expected next year. The bridge will provide a pedestrian connection between two parts of the city.

Civic Crowdfunding is a match funding process between administration, citizens and associations for the implementation of projects of public interest. It’s a new method of urban planning, which offers a possible solution to the shortage of funds from local governments by initiating participatory planning processes.

Together with Arch. Alessio Barollo, we wrote a report on the current state of civic crowdfunding in Europe and in the US, giving an overview on the biggest platforms and the most interesting projects. In the report, we also propose a form of active citizenship through a new model of civic crowdfunding for Italy, which could be replicated elsewhere. It is a process that could resolve the shortage of capital at the local government level, and could also serve to bring people closer to those institutions, increasing respect for the public good and implementing a model of active citizenship and participatory innovation.

The tools to put this into practice area already available, what is required is support and engagement from the civic bodies.  It is an opportunity to participate directly and actively in the improvement of the society in which we live and to avoid drifting away from what should be closest to us: our most immediate communities.

The report has been published in Italian in March and it is now available also in English, thanks to the translation kindly provided by Web-Translations.

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