An Exploratory Look at the Growth and Success of Crowdfunding in the Public Space

• Published date: 01 September 2019
• DOI: 10.1177/0160323X20915590
• Author: Martin Mayer
• Date: 01 September 2019
• Subject Matter: Research Notes

Research Note

An Exploratory Look

at the Growth and

Success of Crowdfunding

in the Public Space

Martin Mayer

1

Abstract

The digital age has changed the way we consume information and left organizations struggling to

adapt to new technologies and information exchange mechanisms. Civic crowdfunding is one such

new technology that has the potential to redefine what local government means from an individual

and administrative perspective, but there remains little knowledge about what it is and where it fits

in the public space. This research attempts to unravel these questions by providing an overview of

the field of civic crowdfunding and explaining what types of projects are undertaken, what projects

are successfully funded, and what factors lead to successful projects.

Keywords

local government, crowdfunding, civic crowdfunding, public goods, citizen engagement

In early Februaryof 2011, an individual living in

Massachusetts tweeted at then Detroit Mayor

Dave Bing suggesting that Detroit should erect

a Robocopstatue in the name of civicpride, much

like Philadelphia had done years prior with its

own endearing statue of Rocky. If looking for

proof that technology was changing interaction

with government officials, and design, funding,

and creation in thepublic space, look no further.

Within days of Mayor Bing’s acknowledg-

ment that there were no plans for a Robocop

statue, a group of individuals set to change that.

Having raised more than $67,000 from over

3,000 contributors worldwide in just over a

month on the Kickstarter platform, it was clear

that Robocop was coming back to Detroit.

What followed was nearly a decade of bureau-

cratic red tape, working with local government,

nonprofits, and licensing agencies in order to

gain approvals and support to make the project

a reality. As of spring 2020, the Robocop statue

will finally enjoy the long-awaited unveiling

outside of the Michigan Science Center in

downtown Detroit.

While an extreme example, the crowdfund-

ing of the Robocop statue highlights the contin-

ued evolution of technology and citizen

involvement in the public space. Effective pub-

lic participation hinges on having an informed

citizenry (Jordan et al. 2016). Gone are the days

1

Department of PoliticalScience and Public Administration,

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Pembroke,

NC, USA

Corresponding Author:

Martin Mayer, Department of Political Science and Public

Administration, The University of North Carolina at

Pembroke, Pembroke, NC 28372, USA.

Email: martin.mayer@uncp.edu

State and Local GovernmentReview

2019, Vol. 51(3) 187-196

ªThe Author(s) 2020

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DOI: 10.1177/0160323X20915590

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