Civic Commons

Civic Technology for the Public Good

Civic technology sits at the intersection of public service and modern software development. It encompasses the tools, platforms, and practices that governments and communities use to improve public services, increase transparency, and strengthen democratic participation. Civic Commons serves as a resource hub for understanding this growing field and the projects that define it.

Governments at every level face a common challenge: delivering effective public services while managing limited budgets and aging infrastructure. Civic technology addresses this challenge by applying open source software, open data standards, and collaborative development practices to the problems that matter most to communities.

What You Will Find Here

Projects and Initiatives

The Projects section covers major civic technology initiatives that have shaped how governments adopt and share software. From open standards like Open311 for civic issue tracking to frameworks for shared technology resources, these projects represent the building blocks of modern civic infrastructure.

Applications and Tools

The Apps section catalogs civic technology applications that address real-world needs in government and community settings. These range from workforce development tools to citizen engagement platforms, each solving a specific problem that municipalities and organizations encounter.

Stories from the Field

Stories from practitioners, developers, and government officials document how civic technology works in practice. These accounts cover both successes and lessons learned, providing practical insight for anyone considering civic technology adoption.

Why Civic Technology Matters

The traditional model of government technology procurement has long been criticized for its inefficiency. Agencies often pay millions of dollars for custom software that duplicates what another agency has already built. When that software becomes outdated, they pay again to replace it. This cycle wastes public resources and leaves communities underserved.

Civic technology offers a different approach. When government software is developed openly, other jurisdictions can adopt and adapt it rather than building from scratch. Open standards ensure that different systems can communicate with each other. And public engagement tools give residents a direct channel to participate in governance.

Key Principles

• Open source development allows governments to share software rather than duplicating effort across jurisdictions
• Open data standards ensure interoperability between different systems and agencies
• Community-driven design puts the needs of residents at the center of technology decisions
• Transparency gives the public visibility into how their government operates and spends resources
• Collaboration between government, nonprofit, and private sector partners produces better outcomes than any single organization can achieve alone

The Scale of the Challenge

Government IT spending in the United States alone exceeds $100 billion annually across federal, state, and local agencies. Much of this spending goes toward maintaining legacy systems rather than building new capabilities. Civic technology advocates argue that a significant portion of this spending could be redirected toward shared, open solutions that benefit multiple jurisdictions simultaneously.

Cities and counties across the country have demonstrated that civic technology works. Budget visualization tools help residents understand how their tax dollars are spent. Service request systems allow citizens to report potholes, broken streetlights, and other issues through standardized digital channels. Emergency notification systems keep communities informed during crises.

Getting Involved

Civic technology thrives on participation. Whether you are a software developer looking to contribute to open source government projects, a government official seeking better tools for public service delivery, or a community member interested in how technology can improve local governance, there are opportunities to engage.

Browse the sections of this site to learn about specific projects, applications, and the organizations working to advance civic technology. The field continues to evolve as new tools emerge and more governments embrace open, collaborative approaches to serving their communities.