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.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.
Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.
LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions