Problem Space

Civic life consists of the attention and actions an individual devotes to a common good, however where and how civic life takes place, is an open question. The lines between the private and the public, the self-interested and the civic are blurring as digital cultures transform means and patterns of communication around the world.

Proposed Intervention

The Civic Media Project (CMP) is a collection of short case studies published in Scalar, a collaborative publishing tool founded at USC Annenberg, and an extension of CIVIC MEDIA: TECHNOLOGY, DESIGN, PRACTICE, an edited anthology published by MIT Press in Spring 2016.

Social Impact

The Civic Media Project case studies are organized into four sections: Play + Creativity presents cases where civic life is facilitated through deliberate acts of play or creativity, either through games, speculative design, or digital storytelling. Systems + Design presents cases where the infrastructure of civic life is considered and manipulated to produce specific civic outcomes. Learning + Engagement presents cases that focus on how the effective qualities of learning and engagement are mobilized towards civic impact. Community + Action presents cases where people or organizations mobilize digital networks for civic or political action and where social movements intersect with social circles.