Network communities as agencies for the formation of city’s agenda (the case of “Help the City” movement)

Abstract

The article assesses the role of online communities operating in online and offline public spaces in the development and implementation of urban policy using the case of “Help the City” movement (Krasnodar). The authors characterize the online community “Help the City” as socially proactive; this appraisal is based on the results of empirical research. Communities of this type, being focused on the construction of active civil and political actions and involvement of their participants, become the real agencies of urban public policy. The activities of participants in “Help the City” movement are manifested in discursive practices and practices aimed at integrating the urban community into territorial development projects. The discursive practices of the network community actualize local identity, problems of ecology and urban planning, as well as ways to solve them, which includes cooperation with municipal authorities. The real activities of the social movement embody the “products” of online discussions in social networks in the form of projects and events for the development of the territories of Krasnodar inner-city space. The authors come to the conclusion that “Help the City” online community participates in the formation of the city agenda as well as in the implementation of development projects in the city, within the framework of this agenda based on active interaction between business, government and local community.