Fiscal Note
Existing staff resources will be allocated to promote and educate about certain projects that utilize "crowdsourcing," or funding contributions made by the greater community. The City will not administer the funding for the projects, but rather highlight those that benefit the City as a whole. No appropriation is required.
Title
Authorizing City Staff to promote crowdsourcing and crowdfunding for placemaking projects.
Body
Whereas, the City of Madison benefits in numerous ways when its citizens actively participate in creative placemaking to improve the gathering places within our community such as our streets, sidewalks, parks, buildings, and other public spaces; and
Whereas, placemaking invites greater interaction between people and fosters healthier, more social, and economically viable communities; and
Whereas, budgetary considerations limit the amount of investment the City can make in the increasing number of ideas citizens are bringing forward to activate neighborhoods through creative placemaking; and
Whereas, there is a need for broad community involvement to accomplish the level of placemaking we desire in every Madison neighborhood and one way this can be efficiently achieved is through crowdsourcing technologies; and
Whereas, crowdsourcing is a general term that refers to a way of searching for and obtaining needed resources of ideas, services, or funds from anyone, particularly in on-line communities; and
Whereas, crowdsourcing of time, energy, and funding demonstrates how very small contributions can lead to significant accomplishments; and
Whereas, placing the ability to deem what is worthy of accomplishing in the hands of the citizens through crowdsourcing creates a sense of empowerment; and
Whereas, crowdsourcing platforms use the internet to reach beyond existing networks and quickly involve people with similar interests; and
Whereas, crowdsourcing has the potential to engage new members of the community and build supp...
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