Community Networks for Reinventing Citizenship and Democracy

Abstract

When the Milan and Bologna community networks were designed and launched in 1994, the goal was not simply to give access to all, but, by doing so, to take a step toward reinventing citizenship and democracy. This chapter first presents the “vision” behind that goal and then summarizes the outcomes of these early experiences in terms of the original goal. Citizens’ communities emerge as the true engine of innovation and therefore the chapter outlines how to translate the “community network vision” into design principles and implementation guidelines.