Online tools for public engagement: case studies from Reykjavik

With the ubiquity of Internet technologies and growing demands for transparency and open data policies, the role of social networking and online deliberation tools for public engagement in decision-making has increased substantially in the last decades. Across the globe, officials and non-governmental organizations respectively or jointly have introduced online platforms in order to involve the public at different stages of policy initiation and implementation and at various degrees of participation from information to consultation to collaborative decisions (Habermas, 2001). The nature of such platforms is still experimental and their success varies; power to influence ultimate choices is hardly ever delegated to the citizens, the rhetoric of direct democracy and citizen empowerment often serving to disguise the factual lack of political and administrative will and dedication to public participation (Papacharissi, 2002). Partnerships with civic organizations could be key for more efficient management of time and resources, as well as better outreach and access to participation. However, experience in establishing such public-private partnerships is still lacking, and the implications for personal data protection and misuse of online media for political steering should be considered. What is more, attention should be focused on the cognitive limitations and psychological predispositions of those engaging in participation online, as research in recent years reveal a positive correlation between reported use of social media and levels of civic engagement, but the causality behind this has not been studied enough (Boulianne, 2015, Ruckner, 2016).