2. Problem Statement
Local governments in America underutilize
participatory decision-making and rely too
heavily on analog methods of public awareness.
Citizen participation in legislation and community
building is restricted due to communication,
financial, and legal barriers that limit social
mobilization.
The result is reactionary elected officials with
limited mandates to provide only basic public
services and a general distrust of government
amongst the citizenry.
3. Problem Components
Problem Components:
• Residents of small cities or towns are often separated by dozens of miles
and community organizing is often too costly or time consuming for the
average person. Voting for and petitioning elected officials, letters to the
editor, or the occasional referendum are the only means of political
representation.
• Elected officials lack the budgets and personnel to conduct analog surveys
or opinion polls to analyze policy alternatives or impact necessary to make
government decision-making more participatory.
• City websites are beyond the control of the citizenry and do not serve as a
means for community initiatives or social mobilization.
• Websites or apps that exist to promote community initiatives approach
assistance from a top-down or outsider perspective, i.e. consulting.
• Analog or older technology such as local TV, newspapers, radio, and even
the internet (filter bubbles) are increasingly centralized, limiting the ability
of citizens to communicate and mobilize.
4. Proposal
The goal of Town Square is to create a semi-
open source web portal that operates
seamlessly with social media in which
individuals in small communities or
neighborhoods control site content and
highlight issues, discuss alternatives, and act
to promote positive change and a sense of
community.
5. Overview
Site Features:
• Create community webpage and profile within state and national network
• Access individual local and state laws, government calendars, and
information on redressing grievances (referendums, petitions, etc.)
• Community discussion board that links to social media and automatically
generates policy action (petitions, public awareness alerts, etc.)
• Crowd source funding of community initiatives (city starter ala kickstarter)
• News, photos, video, blogs/op-eds, announcements
Option “Make my hometown” and user will be taken directly to town
• http://www.townsquare.org/wi/chetek
• http://www.townsquare.org/ny/newyork/brooklyn/williamsburg
(/hipsters – kidding!)
6. Example 1
• Issue: A small town sees a business close. Large lot sits
vacant in downtown area.
• Sequence of events on “town square”
– Individual posts idea of utilizing space as community garden
– Receives 1,000+ “likes” instantly into online petition
– Idea announced through local media for consideration.
Local landscape company donates proposal.
Town Council designates area as community garden.
– Project funded via kickstarter feature, bypassing city budgeting
– Volunteer opportunity to participate in construction announced.
Space built using local labor, donated materials.
7. Example 2
• Issue: Local bird species endangered due to invasive
predators.
• Sequence of events on “town square”
– Community discussion initiated in forum
– Links to protecting native species circulated; township initiates
public awareness campaign in local media
– Uninhabited river island zoned for species restoration
– Volunteer opportunities organized to cultivate island; mobile
messenger alert system established to coordinate
rescue/relocation of birds
– Project funding raised through kickstarter feature to sustain bird
sanctuary
