- Attended BetaNYC’s City Camp at Hunter College
- Led a session on low-tech civic tech
Session Details:
- A group discussion exploring low-tech solutions for civic engagement and sharing community information.
- 1 hour discussion with roughly 20 participants
- Full notes available thanks to our volunteer note taker
- Main topics/exerpts:
- What counts as “low-tech”? Old technology? Low barrier to entry? Could “high-tech” be apart of the solution?
- Audience and geography determines best method of communication
- What causes a source to be trusted? Are local sources more trusted?
- Scale of outreach. Smaller, local outreach may justify higher cost, higher impact methods.
- Returning control to communities, to set the agenda, to engage in sense-making
- Is the spectacle of tech obscuring the human connections?
- Where has innovation genuinely helped? When has it been a distraction? What is most effective for meeting people where they are at.
- Who gets left behind with different technology strategies/uses?
- Where do we engage: Online? Via tech? In public spaces?
- Technologies/methods referenced:
- Davis Sq Message Board
- Bulletin Boards
- Flyers
- Door knocking, perhaps assisted by high tech apps/GIS
- Hyperlocal digital newsletters/Substacks, advertised via physical flyers in local spaces
- Phone calls
- Local radio stations
- Community events, block parties
- Bagels and hand written fliers, used to attract tenants to gather and talk
Thank you to all who participated and indulged in this conversation!
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