This week, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced the recipients of $9 million in funding aimed at utilizing technology to get people "more deeply engaged in community life." The announcement was not without controversy.
"For several years, an important slice of Knight Foundation’s grantmaking has been devoted to finding ways communities can use technology to connect for action," says Damian Thorman on the foundation's blog. "We’d like see technology enable broad-based engagement, amplify what it means to be a citizen and ultimately revitalize democracy."
"Market forces aren’t – yet - propelling droves of people into civic tech careers. To push the field, funders need to step in to help build a corps of civic-minded technologists who are passionate about using their skills for the greater good."
"So today, we’re excited to announce $9 million in funding to Code for America, New York University and TED to help develop the people, ideas and infrastructure to realize the potential of Tech for Engagement," writes Thorman.
Sounds like a good idea, huh? But, as Nick Judd reports, the announcement has caused a bit of controversy. "The smallest grant from Knight announced Monday has caused the greatest stir. Knight is giving nearly $1 million to TED, the flashy, expensive conference that produces web videos of 'ideas worth spreading.'"
In TED, "Knight is picking a curious partner if it wants to have a transformative effect on American democracy," says Judd. "TED has shown an active interest in avoiding ideas that its curators deem to be too transformative."
FULL STORY: Knight doubles down on tech’s potential to connect communities for action
Rating the Effectiveness of Eight Approaches to Civic Engagement
Code for America has released an Engagement Standard that provides concepts for measuring the quality of new engagement platform technology—not a bad tool to have in the perpetual quest to increase the quality of engagement processes.
New Tools Promote Civic Engagement
Ben Schiller spotlights the four winners of a competition organized by the National Conference on Citizenship and the Knight Foundation to improve civic health by making civic data "more valuable and accessible to decision makers and the public."
What the Academic Literature Says About Civic Engagement
A literature review notes three big themes and challenges to emerge from a year's worth of intellectual investigation of civic engagement.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.
DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)