Urban changes and citizens' engagement by using digital media

• Author: Florin Nechita
• Position: Transilvania University of Brasov
• Pages: 161-170

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Bra şov

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law • Vol. 12(61) No. 1 – 2019

https://doi.org/10.31926/but.ssl.2019.12.61.1.15

URBAN CHANGES AND CITIZENS’ ENGAGEMENT BY

USING DIGITAL MEDIA

Florin NECHITA1

Abstract: New media and digital communication tools give an authentic

voice to citizens, allowing them not only to be better informed, but also to be

initiators of social change. Relatively new concepts related to digital

communication tools that are extensively used in business and brand

communication (co-creation, digital storytelling, virtual worlds or

gamification) have to be considered from the perspective of engaging

citizens in urban planning, design or urban regeneration projects Three

international case studies are briefly described as examples of good practice

for a creative and innovative way of using digital media tools for engaging

citizens with theirs cities.

Keywords: participation, engagement, digital communication.

1. Introduction

Participation and civic engagement are strongly related to contemporary urban

studies, and these behaviors can break down or reinforce social differences between

people (Silver, Scott, & Kazepov, 2010). Citizens behave according to their esteem or

self-actualization needs, which include active interest in participation in city government

and manifestation of democratic citizenship (Kopackova, 2019). Transparency and

citizen-centric approaches need for tools and instruments for facilitating the

engagement between citizens and the government (central or local). Some Europea n

funded initiatives like European Capital of Culture valorizing citizens’ engagement as one

of the main criteria for awarding the title (Nechita, 2015; Migdalovici & Nechita, 2014).

Regarding urban design and physical planning, engagement of citizens could refer t o

different issues, such as regeneration and development strategies, or solutions to

specific problems such as traffic congestion.

Digitally mediated civic engagement could be found in very diverse forms, from

organizing physical protests using social media, digital hackers of public institutions, to

using mobil e apps to access and coproduce government services, to using digital

debating platforms (Gordon, Baldwin-Philippi, & Balestra, 2013). By creating virtual

public places, new technologies can allow dialogue amo ng citizens and between citizens

and decision-makers in local communities (Aurigi, 2005). Online participatory activities

1 Transilvania University of Braşov, florin.nechita@unitbv.ro