Digital civics: taking a local turn

Newcastle is a flourishing research-focused university. The university?s success comes at a time of economic crisis and austerity in the UK, with local councils being required to make drastic cuts to public services. have explored areas including dementia care, chronic disease, mental health, primary and secondary education, social and community care, and local democracy. Its human-centered and participatory approaches have helped us connect with individuals and communities, providing a rich understanding of the challenges its participants face, while at the same time returning to them systems and services that researchers at the university hoped were meaningful and helpful to them. In 2014, the U.K.?s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council awarded us funding to establish the Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Civics.