Public-Civic Digital Ecosystems

In a world that is shaped by technology, our societies are increasingly governed by a few mega-companies who determine everything, from the way we communicate, our transport, our politics, to our cultural expression. Building solidarity-based and just societies requires challenging the dominance of Big Tech.

We urgently need a radically different approach to technology, one where communities are empowered to use alternatives when they need them, and to reject new technologies if they don’t.

Our vision is to build an alternative economy through public-civic digital ecosystems, where citizen cooperatives collaborate closely with strong public institutions, and where communities become literate to technology and independent from it at the same time.

November 2022Start Human Stories of Digital Transformation

With Human Stories of Digital Transformation, we aim to further the idea of online spaces where citizens and communities take center stage. This is why we are collecting stories and experiences from people who are affected by digital transition on a daily basis.

November 2022Start collaboration Public-Civic Spaces Online

Commons Network becomes part of the core coordination group of Shared Digital European Public Space (SDEPS), a coalition of organisations and initiatives united in our belief for the need for public digital infrastructures. Our contribution builds upon our earlier work on Generative Interoperability, Public-Civic ecosystems and Digital Commons.

January 2022Publication: Generative interoperability: Building Online Public & Civic Spaces

Commons Network and Open Future publish Generative Interoperability: Building Public & Civic Spaces online. This report builds upon our earlier publication from 2019 named Our Vision for a Shared Digital Europe and culminates the research supported by NESTA.

September 2021Deep Dives with experts on Interoperable Digital Ecosystems

We interviewed a range of experts from academia, policy, activism, public broadcasting and programming on the role of interoperability for digital ecosystems where communities and citizens take center stage. Together with our partner Open Future we published this series over the course of 6 months.

June 2020Exploring Digital Courage at Fearless Cities

Datafication, algorithms and AI are shaping how we live, reside, and work – and profoundly affect power relations in the city. As part of the Cities for Change team, during Fearless Cities in Amsterdam, Commons Network explored the concept of digital courage: the courage of cities to choose and invest in technologies that benefit their citizens and communities in the long term.

April 2019Publication: Our Vision for a Shared Digital Europe

Our Vision for a Shared Digital Europe provides a policy framework that can guide policymakers and civil society organisations involved with digital policymaking in the direction of a more equitable and democratic digital environment, where basic liberties and rights are protected, where strong public institutions function in the public interest, and where people have a say in how their digital environment functions.

April 2018Publication: Supporting the Commons: Opportunities in the EU policy landscape

Taking a commons approach to European policy, this paper analysis EU policy with regards to Urban Commons, Digital infrastructure & the Collaborative economy and Knowledge management.