Climate change is increasingly affecting urban living environments. Severe storms, sinking groundwater tables, hotter summers and milder winters are already showing their effects on infrastructure, foundations of buildings, and citizens’ experiences and daily lives. In response to these climate impacts, cities have set ambitious climate targets, aiming to become climate-proof through various urban interventions. Many of these interventions require citizen support and participation, from the adoption of renewable energy to the greening of cities (e.g., roofs, backyards, etc.). Because a large part of the built environment is privately owned (about 60% in Dutch cities), the success of such initiatives depends on engaging citizens in climate action. Other strategies require people to change their behaviour and social norms. However, there is a general lack of lack of climate risk awareness and uncertainty regarding citizens’ scope of action. Many citizens do not realise how climate risks relate to their daily lives, and many more are overwhelmed and do not know how to act in times of climate crisis.
Digital platforms have entered the portfolio of climate engagement strategies with great potential to reach larger numbers of citizens. However, our research shows that existing platforms lack accessibility and intuitive navigation. They also do not provide space for citizens to share their experiences with climate impacts or their plans for climate action. Moreover, many platforms fail to provide understandable and relatable climate data or the possibility for citizens to connect on questions regarding climate change.
This project develops CmC – Citizens Meets Climate, a digital participatory platform to empower citizens to take climate action. The platform achieves citizen empowerment by (1) informing citizens about climate risks by connecting scientific data to the everyday lives of citizens, (2) connecting citizens and community initiatives to each other, creating a sense of community, and (3) listening to citizens experiences and linking them to opportunities of individual or collective climate action in their neighbourhood, tailored to their profile.
CmC is funded by the TU Delft Climate Action Program. The team members include Virginia Facciotto, Johanna Zehntner, and Carissa Champlin.
Outputs
Gonçalves, J., & Slingerland, G. (2024, June 19). Citizen Voices in Climate Action: The role of interface design in digital engagement. AMS Scientific Conference 2024, Amsterdam. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12169892
Goncalves, J., Facciotto, V., & Zehntner, J. (2024). Citizens Meets Climate (CmC), a digital participatory platform to empower citizens to take climate action. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12183035
Juliana Gonçalves 