This guide was created by the non-profit R&D Lab New_ Public and the participants in our Summer 2024 Neighborhood Steward Fellowship. A special thank you to those stewards whose insights helped shape the foundation of this guide, as well as everyone else who has since shared ideas, suggestions, and additional best practices!
If you’re the admin or “steward” of a public-spirited digital space for your local community — first of all, thank you 💜 Research has shown that these sorts of spaces often play a critical role in bringing people together in local neighborhoods, towns, and cities and acting as powerful sources of support, information sharing, and local community building. A 2024 Pew Research study found that “more Americans get local news from online forums than daily newspapers.”
While the design of the software or platform you’re using will certainly have some impact on the dynamics of your space, the difference in whether it’s healthy or toxic often comes down to stewardship — the person or group of people like you who pour their heart into welcoming new members, setting the tone, modeling positive behaviors, enforcing community guidelines, and resolving conflicts when necessary. New_ Public created this “living” resource because we know that the work required to make a digital public space inclusive and uplifting can be difficult and often lonely.
<aside> 💡 If you find this resource useful, have questions, or have ideas for things to add, we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch here.
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