Digital Neighbourhoods

Hugh FlouchNetworked Neighbourhoods

Why Now?

Sense of powerlessness

Alienation from Alienation from local community

Concern over local issues

Tecno revolution – tool ownership

In London:

• 63% of households have a PC or laptop

• 76% have access to internet in the home or outside.

(Source: OFCOM Nations & Regions Tracker, Q1 2009)(Source: OFCOM Nations & Regions Tracker, Q1 2009)

• 73% UK population use internet every day (ONS – Internet Access Household & Individuals, Aug 2009)

Tecno revolution – easy connectivities

“One of the few uncontentious tenets of economics is that people respond to

incentives. If you give them more a reason to do something, they will do more of it. And if you make it easier to do more of

something they are already inclined to do, something they are already inclined to do, they will also do more of it.”

Here Comes Everybody, Clay Shirky

Social Netw

ork

Social Netw

ork

Citizen Journalism

Citizen Journalism

Blog-based

Blog

Traditional forum

Traditional forum

Read only

Read only

Listings oriented

Listings oriented

Multiples

Multiples

aggregators

aggregators

London’s Digital Neighbourhoods

• Community focussed sites - >100

• Resident Associations / Friends of groups – 1,320 (est)

• Multiples – 200 (est)

• Aggregators

Reader/Member EngagementSite UK Rank

(11.23m)GlobalRank

TOS Links

Se1 4,885 116,119 1.9 4,406

Urban 75 8,710 69,044 1.7 739

East Dulwich Forum 11,520 229,851 5 56

Chiswick W4 16,028 324,404 3.3 83

Haringey Council 6,912 181,145 3.6 362

Ham & High 35,142 509,651 2.0 367

Haringey Independent 44,617 927,043 77

Crouch End & Hornsey Journal Unranked 2,540,764 1.3 94

Haringey Advertiser Unranked 10,838,273 1

Chiswick W4 16,028 324,404 3.3 83

Harringay Online 25,095 816, 930 4.9 44

(Source: alexa.com, 28/09/09)

“Social Nets increasingly becoming an

‘authority’ traffic source”

“Government sites receive more traffic from Social Nets than News and Media”

Positive Impacts

- the available - the available evidence

Empowerment & EngagementEmpowerment & Engagement

Community Cohesion

Netville & e-neighbours studies

Keith Hampton

Satisfaction with Local Area

Better Local Information

• improved relevance of local news• improved access to local services• better consumer information and advice• stronger involvement in community affairs• stronger involvement in community affairs• enhanced democratic participation• support for local production and training.

(Source: Digital Local, Ofcom, 2006)

Wellbeing

Wellbeing is higher:• in areas where residents can influence decisions affecting their decisions affecting their neighbourhood

• amongst people who have regular contact with their neighbours.

(Source: Neighbourliness + Empowerment = Wellbeing, Young Foundation, 2007)

Building Local Capacity

“The current global financial turmoil bolsters the case for government adoption of social networks as technology-budget cuts make tapping into societal resources, such as voluntary groups, philanthropists, associations and social network groups essential to complement weaker government action in some complement weaker government action in some critical areas…the most promising, and yet, most disruptive, communities are those created outside government”

(The Business Impact of Social Computing on Government, Gartner, October 2008)

Hugh Flouchhugh.flouch@networkedneighbourhoods.comhugh.flouch@networkedneighbourhoods.com