JTS Grassroot Grant awarded to "CiviConnection" 

The JTS Grassroot Grant programme has awarded €2,000 to CiviConnection. This funding will support door-to-door surveys starting from the 14th of November in the Groningen neighbourhoods of Vinkhuizen and De Wijert-Zuid, allowing researchers from the University of Groningen to examine the impact of digital infrastructure on local civic participation.

The CiviConnection project investigates the relationship between socio-spatial characteristics of neighbourhoods and digital infrastructures. As digitalisation reshapes community interaction, civic engagement increasingly moves online, with digital platforms complementing—or even replacing—traditional public spaces. Nationally, digital participation remains centralised, offering citizens limited roles. At the local level, however, digital tools present opportunities for two-way communication between residents and local authorities, fostering a more inclusive and dynamic civic environment.

This pilot project is designed as the cornerstone of a long-term collaboration focused on mapping the link between existing inequalities (such as in facilities, neighbourhood design, and financial resources) and civic participation, both in offline neighbourhood settings and within digital civic infrastructures, such as participatory budgeting, community petitions, crisis response networks, and care networks. By collecting data in Vinkhuizen and De Wijert-Zuid—two neighbourhoods with contrasting social dynamics—the interdisciplinary research team aims to visualise how socio-spatial characteristics relate to digital civic infrastructures.

CiviConnection is a collaborative effort between the Centre for Media and Journalism Studies, the Department of Cultural Geography, and the Department of Spatial Planning and Environment. By mapping the digital and social landscapes of these neighbourhoods, the team aims to provide actionable insights to help municipalities and civic organisations foster equal access to digital engagement tools for all residents, especially those with limited digital literacy.

Following data collection, the CiviConnection team will analyse and visualise the findings, with plans to present the data on 29th January in collaboration with Joëlle Swart, the coordinator of the Digital Inclusion Network Series.

The Jantina Tammes School of Digital Society, Technology and AI is offering individual 'JTS Grassroots Grants' for researchers, staff and PhDs of the University of Groningen to organise interdisciplinary activities.