Unleashing the Intelligence of Cities by Social Innovation and Civic Crowdfunding

Abstract

Public resources to address communities' needs are increasingly scarce. The digitalization of economies has led to an increasingly distance between citizens and public entities. However, the use of ICT by citizens and public authorities must be able to unleash social innovation potential. These are interrelated concepts that could boost the involvement of people in the economic, social, cultural and political decision-making processes of a community. Based on two case studies described in this article, the authors aim to explore the potential of civic crowdfunding for increasing participation and the collaboration of citizens, firms and government. The analysis shows that civic crowdfunding platforms could be a useful tool for public administration enhance the engagement of communities in the solution of their problems. Civic crowdfunding platforms encourage the development of new ideas for common interest as well as the collection of the resources needed for implementing social innovations. Additionally, these civic platforms may be used to strengthen community ties and leverage the bonds among stakeholders and members of the community ecosystem.