Listen Again: The Public Commons

Podcast Summary

• Community-led decision-making in public spaces: Empowering communities to define and decide on public space usage leads to inclusive, cohesive societies

  Community-led decision-making and participatory budgeting can help create public spaces that truly meet the needs and wants of the people they serve. As heard in the TED Radio Hour episode, libraries have become magical hubs for communities by allowing members to define how they want to use the space. Participatory budgeting is a framework that enables this, giving community members the power to design, plan, and decide on how portions of a budget should be spent. This deep participation leads to the creation of spaces where people can come together, learn, and build trust, ultimately creating a cohesive society. However, it's important to remember that not all public spaces are created equal, and those who need them the most are not always included. By focusing on community-led decision-making, we can work towards creating public spaces that provide equal opportunities for all and foster a sense of belonging.

• Participatory budgeting empowers communities to decide on public fund allocation: Participatory budgeting enables community members to transform public spaces, deepen community building, and make effective decisions on public fund allocation.

  Participatory budgeting is a powerful tool for community members to make real decisions about how public funds are allocated in their local areas. This global movement, which has existed for over 30 years, allows community members to imagine and transform public spaces into hubs of life for all people. Sherry Davis, who first learned about participatory budgeting in Boston in 2014, shares her experience of involving young people in the process, resulting in significant improvements such as increasing technology access for students and renovating parks to make them more accessible for all. Although there may be challenges, such as community buy-in and unexpected obstacles, the benefits of deep community building and effective decision-making make it worthwhile. With the success of participatory budgeting in various cities and countries, including Phoenix, Arizona, it's clear that this is an important opportunity for people to channel their energy into effective and smart decision-making.

• Building Trust and Empowerment through Participatory Budgeting: Participatory budgeting fosters trust and empowerment by allowing community members to decide how public funds are spent, leading to stronger communities and democracies. Creating safe and welcoming public spaces, whether physical or digital, is crucial for building relationships and trust.

  Participatory budgeting, a democratic process that allows community members to decide how public funds are spent, brings about significant behavior change and trust-building between community members and their government. Sherry Davis, co-executive director of the Participatory Budgeting Project, emphasizes that the relationships and trust formed are the most valuable outcomes, leading to a sense of empowerment and desire for greater involvement in the system. However, in the digital world, creating safe and welcoming public spaces online is a challenge. Eli Pariser, known for coining the term "filter bubble," highlights the issue of personalized content and echo chambers, which can lead to drifting realities and disagreements about the nature of events in the world. Both Davis and Pariser stress the importance of fostering open and inclusive public spaces, whether physical or digital, to build stronger communities and democracies.

• Four Qualities of Positive Digital Spaces: Tech platforms should prioritize creating welcoming, connected, and understanding digital spaces to ensure users feel a sense of belonging, build meaningful relationships, communicate effectively, and can take action.

  Tech platforms, which have effectively taken control of our online public square, have a responsibility to provide us with positive and productive digital spaces in exchange for the power they hold over our discourse. When we view platforms as spaces, we recognize that they shape behavior and have political consequences. Research suggests that good physical spaces are structured with rules, and this concept can be applied to digital platforms. A study conducted by Eli Pariser and Dr. Talia Stroud identified four qualities of public spaces that translate to digital platforms: welcome, connect, understand, and act. These qualities aim to ensure users feel a sense of belonging, can build meaningful relationships, are able to communicate effectively, and can take action. The findings from this study indicate that current digital environments do not effectively deliver these qualities, and it's essential for tech companies to prioritize creating welcoming, connected, and understanding digital spaces for their users.

• Creating meaningful connections in digital spaces: Mix up groups, erode antagonisms, facilitate dialogue, create shared goals, elevate cross-sectional issues, foster collective efficacy, and rethink online governance

  Designing meaningful connections in digital spaces requires intentional effort. Merely bringing groups together online does not automatically lead to cross-group bonds and ties. Instead, it's essential to mix up groups, erode antagonisms, facilitate meaningful dialogue, and create shared goals. For instance, platforms like Polis in Taiwan elevate issues with the most cross-sectional support, allowing for a more representative and effective response. Additionally, fostering collective efficacy, or the belief that a group can address problems together, is crucial for positive community outcomes. Designers can build digital spaces that encourage these conversations and social feedback mechanisms, but ultimately, a new approach to online governance may be necessary to fully embrace these principles.

• Creating egalitarian online public spaces: Learning from community institutions and investing in a new design movement to create a mix of public and private digital spaces for various groups, inspired by urban designers for the digital world.

  Creating egalitarian online public spaces is a complex challenge, but not an impossible one. We cannot rely on a single magical algorithm to serve the needs of all communities and individuals worldwide. Instead, we should look to the past and learn from community institutions like libraries and parks, which are tailored to specific needs and governed by their communities. A new design movement is needed to create a mix of public and private digital spaces that cater to various groups. It's important to remember that this doesn't require competing with tech giants but rather investing in our digital ecosystem for the benefit of all. Urban designers for the digital world, or "digital Jane Jacobs," will be essential in building the parks, town halls, and libraries of the online world. This transnational movement will allow these spaces to learn from each other, just as cities have throughout history. Ultimately, we must not give up on the promise of online public spaces as a place for humanity to connect, build, and grow. It's a long-term project, but one that is crucial for creating a comfortable, beautiful, and inclusive digital world for all.

• Creating Positive Online Public Spaces: Volunteers built accurate and neutral information hub during Arab Spring using Wikipedia, emphasizing the importance of rules and norms for positive online public spaces.

  The digital world can be a powerful tool for building communities and creating change, but it requires effort to make it a positive and productive space. Eli Pariser, a researcher and author, emphasizes the importance of creating online public spaces where individuals feel valued, connected, and have agency. An example of this is Wikipedia's coverage of the Arab Spring, where a small team of volunteers worked together to provide accurate and neutral information during a time of revolution. By establishing robust rules and norms, volunteers were able to ensure that the platform served its purpose while also supporting the cause. This model of a democratic and civil public space can be applied to various online platforms and real-life situations, from city council meetings to social media.

• Empowering a community to create a vast repository of knowledge: Wikipedia, a collaborative platform, empowers its community to create a vast repository of knowledge by summarizing reliable sources, upholding neutrality, and fostering a cooperative environment.

  Wikipedia is a collaborative platform built and maintained by a community of volunteers, where knowledge is shared through the summarization of reliable sources. Its unique open-source ethos and neutral point of view policy empower the community to work together and create a vast repository of information. However, despite its commitment to neutrality, Wikipedia faces challenges in ensuring comprehensive representation and addressing biases, particularly in underrepresented areas like women and people of color. Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, envisioned a world where every person has access to the sum of all human knowledge, and the platform's founding values reflect this ambition. By fostering a neutral and cooperative environment, Wikipedia distinguishes itself from other digital spaces, offering a quiet and ad-free space for the pursuit of knowledge.

• Balancing safety and creativity in public spaces: Effective public spaces require balancing rules for safety with fostering openness for creativity and dialogue. Encouraging diversity, addressing barriers, and considering ethical business models can lead to thriving online and offline communities.

  Creating thriving public spaces, both online and offline, requires a balance between establishing rules for safety and fostering openness for creativity and dialogue. The success of platforms like Wikipedia, which operates as a non-profit and relies on human curation, contrasts with profit-driven platforms that use algorithms to keep users engaged and often lead them to unhealthy content. To build effective public spaces, we need to encourage diversity, address barriers to entry, and consider alternative business models that prioritize ethical practices and community well-being. By working together and reimagining the role of public spaces, we can create environments where people gather, learn, and build connections. In the case of abandoned or forgotten spaces, artist Matthew Mazada's work shows the potential of repurposing these areas to address complex community issues that go beyond the reach of traditional structures. By embracing the power of public spaces and their diverse perspectives, we can foster meaningful discussions and solutions to tackle the challenges that matter most to our communities.

• Community engagement and public spaces: Involving communities in creating and using public spaces can lead to meaningful discussions, problem-solving, and a sense of connection. Artists like Matthew Mazza use abandoned buildings and everyday experiences to foster collective dreaming and shift perspectives.

  Community engagement and creative use of public spaces can lead to meaningful discussions, problem-solving, and a sense of connection. Artist Matthew Mazza uses abandoned buildings and everyday experiences to spark conversations and address local issues, from transforming a house into a theater in York, Alabama, to replacing a garbage can with an anaerobic digester in Cambridge, Massachusetts. By involving the community in the creation and use of these spaces, Mazza fosters collective dreaming and a shift in perspective. As he says, "If people can sit together, they can dream together." This approach not only addresses specific concerns but also fosters a sense of belonging and renewed energy in communities.

• Stay informed with NPR: Access news and trends: NPR app offers news access without paywalls, profits or distractions. It's Been a Minute podcast explores reasons behind pop culture trends.

  Staying informed doesn't have to be a struggle. With the NPR app, you have access to local, national, and global news without any paywalls, profits, or unnecessary distractions. For those curious about the trends dominating pop culture, tune in to the It's Been a Minute podcast hosted by Britney Loose on NPR. Instead of just reporting what's trending, she delves deeper to uncover the reasons behind the buzz. Whether you're interested in understanding the popularity of your favorite pop star or the sudden rise of a makeup fad, this podcast offers valuable insights. So, whether it's through the NPR app or the It's Been a Minute podcast, make informed choices with ease and curiosity.