<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#CCCCCC" text="#000000">
CityLimits.org post <i>"<a
href="http://citylimits.org/2015/09/14/city-must-use-nyc-to-create-a-real-civic-commons/">City
Must Use .NYC to Create a Real Civic Commons</a>"</i> about
using elements of the .nyc TLD to improve local democracy. Post
discusses how a civic commons is to be developed and governed. It's
a 10 minute read. Here's a part:<br>
<blockquote>
<p>Here's what needs to happen: City Hall must reopen public
access to .nyc’s planning and development processes. It should
adopt a multi-stakeholder governance model and engage academia,
business, civic society, government, residents and the technical
community in an open and transparent planning process. This
should be followed by the following:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Autonomy: </strong>City Hall must not micromanage
the commons. While the operating contract with ICANN (the
global entity that awarded .nyc to city hall) puts ultimate
responsibility of .nyc in City Hall, the stakeholder
communities for the various spaces (domain names) must have
rulemaking and management authority, within our system of
laws. Few will trust a search.nyc if it's operated by City
Hall.</li>
<li><strong>Engagement:</strong> All New Yorkers should be
invited into the planning processes. A supportive
organizational structure and staff should empower meaningful
participation.</li>
<li><strong>Promotion: </strong>Getting the word out in New York
City can be an enormously expensive and difficult proposition.
Success here will only arrive if City Hall promotes the
commons with the same vigor and persistence used for 311, 911,
and nyc.gov. As a symbol of support it should commit, with
great hoopla, to moving the city government's website from
nyc.gov to gov.nyc.</li>
<li><strong>Resources: </strong> The sale of domain names is
generating a surplus with 40 percent of the wholesale price of
domain names coming to the city. These funds should be
sufficient to support the development of the commons and
should be channeled to a Commons Development Authority to
facilitate implementation. Should additional funds be
necessary, the Authority should be empowered to facilitate
their acquisition.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
Comments and sharing appreciated.<br>
<br>
Tom Lowenhaupt<br>
</body>
</html>