Urban civic networks as the relational space for social innovation

Abstract

The study aims to present the case on urban civic networks as a practice of innovation within the realm of collaborative governance. We investigate the case of the City of Bari as instrumental in initiating the affirmation of social ecosystems of innovation with their own organisational and social models. Our findings highlight the key role of community engagement in an alternative action model of impacting on their urban spaces and concerning all the aspects of the social organisation. The study's theoretical background is made of three complimentary theories: community governance, social movements and social innovation. This study uses a research methodology based upon a single case analysis given the uniqueness of this case and lack of comparative situations. We conclude with a discussion of how urban civic networks and the use of networking and engagement open new doors for generating development and innovation at the local level.