[ - civic stacks are **integrated systems** that combine **patterns (conceptual design)**, **protocols (operational mechanisms)**, and **playbooks (actionable guides)** into modular templates for open civic systems. ] Open civic stacks are templates that support the composition of civic utilities into open protocols. Civic utilities are essential infrastructure that support the functioning of civic systems. Civic stacks are compositions of open protocols that provide core civilizational functions through minimum input of capital by maximally unlocking the latent collective action potential of a group of humans. Applied as adaptive social organisms, the actualization of these civic stacks serves as a participatory feedback loop for the further development and refinement of open protocols. Because they are composed of the same underlying ontology, grammar, and protocols, the public is easily able to discover, apply, modify and fork the stack for their own purposes. As the public engages in this participatory process, the stacks and their component elements will co-evolve. Civic stacks are most easily conceived at the local level, but further research is required to ascertain their viability for larger scale civic systems like energy or information infrastructure. Below is a series of examples to illustrate the vast potential application of civic stacks as recipes for particular forms of civic stewardship and engagement. To better illustrate how open protocols can be composed as social organisms to deliver key civic utilities, each ontological element is referenced below in the context of each phase of the social organism’s life cycle. Here, we can see a set of generalizable self-organization patterns that naturally occur as social organisms form, gestate, mature, and decompose. While these patterns will be distinct in their specific open protocol contexts, each [element and developmental process contain key insights, capacities, and sequences of activities] that support the social organism in developing into its potential as a civic utility. Civic utilities that reach the maturation stage of the social organism’s lifecycle will be able to offer core civilizational needs through the participatory and self-governed application of protocols. The OpenCivics Innovation Framework offers a meta-pattern for open civic utilities, enabling them to be easily composed into civic stacks and supporting the alignment of civic innovators as they consider how their innovations might be networked and interoperable. Civic stacks are meant to be utilized and adapted based on the needs of the instance. They are tagged with relevant data through bidirectional links – like civic sectors, experiments (of origin), locations and general tags. They are intended as a template for customization. ### **Civic Stack Template** Civic stacks are composed as tables, where the y axis is the components of the system and the x axis is the developmental phases of the system (as an organism). In the intersectional space, protocols can be associated (through bidirectional linking) with protocols that are most useful related to particular considerations within a system at particular developmental phases. These protocols detail inputs and outputs that are best oriented towards surfacing agreements or “common ground” from participants of the process. Tables can be incomplete and are intended to convey “best practices” as was known or utilized by others in their particular instance of deployment. [ Contributor Note – there is an active discussion about how to approach what a civic stack is. Initial thinking is that it’s a page format which includes some sense of model that supports sensemaking. Below is an example of two different approaches, please contribute and expand as you wish! ] The object template of a “civic stack” within the knowledge commons can be accompanied by any additional information that is deemed useful. For example, copies of the specific outputs/agreements of the protocols included may be included, as may mention of practitioners who offer support to those implementing the civic stack. ||**Type: _**|**Conception**|**Gestation**|**Maturation**|**Decomposition**| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |**Culture**|||||| |**Institutions**|||||| |**Incentives**|||||| |**Infrastructure**|||||| |**Interactions**|||||| ### **Examples Civic Stacks** - **Housing Cooperative** By forming a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) to govern and tokenize the purchase of multi-family dwellings (apartment building, duplex, large community home, etc), participants gain the capacity to develop equity in their own home while retaining the flexibility to sell the equity they’ve developed should they decide to move out. Merging alternative methods of governance, legal instrumentation, and ownership models, this civic stack leverages collective agency to push back on the extractive and exclusionary practices of large corporate real estate interests. ||**Type: DAO**|**Conception**|**Gestation**|**Maturation**|**Decomposition**| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |**Culture**|Collaborative ownership, mutual support, and shared responsibility for property and community well-being.|Community Visioning Workshops, Shared Value Creation Sessions|Collaborative Governance Training, Community Building Activities|Ongoing Community Support Programs, Periodic Well-Being Assessments|Transition Support Workshops, Legacy Planning Sessions| |**Institutions**|Governance structure of the DAO, legal frameworks for property ownership, cooperative housing policies.|Foundational Governance Framework Development, Legal Structure Design Meetings|DAO Governance Protocol Implementation, Legal Framework Finalization|Regular Governance Reviews, Policy Update Sessions|Dissolution of Governance Structures, Legal Processes for Property Transition| |**Incentives**|Equity development for residents, flexibility to sell developed equity, collective agency against corporate real estate practices.|Initial Equity Model Planning, Community Engagement for Incentive Design|Equity Development Workshops, Market Research for Equity Sale Flexibility|Equity Growth Tracking, Resident Feedback on Incentive Effectiveness|Final Equity Distribution Planning, Documentation of Collective Agency Impact| |**Infrastructure**|Digital platform for managing equity, property management systems, blockchain for tokenizing ownership.|Digital Platform Needs Assessment, Prototype Development for Property Management Systems|Platform Beta Testing and Feedback Collection, Blockchain Integration for Tokenization|Full Deployment of Management Systems, Continuous Improvement of Blockchain Functions|Deactivation and Archiving of Digital Platforms, Final Blockchain Ledger Closure| |**Interactions**|Flow of equity tokens between residents, decision-making processes for property management, financial transactions for buying/selling equity.|Equity Token Flow Design Sessions, Decision-Making Process Prototyping|Initial Token Transactions Simulations, Resident Decision-Making Prototypes|Routine Equity Token Audits, Streamlined Decision-Making Protocols|Final Equity Transactions, Closure of Decision-Making Processes| - **Community Wellness Cooperative** Coordinating the knowledge and physical capital of traditional medicines that can be grown or foraged around your community, community wellness cooperatives or mutual aid organizations are able to provide holistic preventative medicines to participants who collectively grow, process, and educate their neighbors on the use of local medicinal plants and practices. Imagine growing a small section of medicinal herbs in your garden and bringing your harvest several times per year to a community gathering with a large kitchen space in which the community collectively processes the herbs into tinctures and dried blends that are then shared with the entire community, combining education, empowerment, and collective action. ||**Type: Mutual Aid Organization**|**Conception**|**Gestation**|**Maturation**|**Decomposition**| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |**Culture**|Emphasis on holistic health, community education, and shared stewardship of local resources.|Community Health Visioning Workshops, Shared Stewardship Planning Sessions|Holistic Health Education Programs, Community Building Activities|Ongoing Community Health Support Programs, Periodic Well-Being Assessments|Transition Support Workshops, Legacy Health Planning Sessions| |**Institutions**|Cooperative governance models, local health regulations, knowledge-sharing protocols.|Foundational Governance Model Development, Local Health Regulation Framework Design|Cooperative Governance Protocol Implementation, Local Health Regulation Finalization|Regular Governance Reviews, Health Policy Update Sessions|Dissolution of Cooperative Governance Structures, Legal Processes for Health Resource Transition| |**Incentives**|Access to holistic medicines, educational opportunities, community health improvement.|Initial Access Model Planning, Community Engagement for Educational Opportunities|Holistic Medicine Workshops, Educational Opportunity Development|Medicine and Education Access Tracking, Community Health Feedback Collection|Final Distribution Planning for Medicines and Educational Materials, Documentation of Health Improvement Impact| |**Infrastructure**|Community gardens, processing kitchens, educational workshops, distribution networks.|Community Garden Planning, Processing Kitchen Prototyping|Workshop Facility Setup, Distribution Network Beta Testing|Full Deployment of Processing Kitchens, Continuous Improvement of Distribution Networks|Deactivation and Repurposing of Facilities, Final Distribution Network Closure| |**Interactions**|Exchange of medicinal plants and products, educational interactions, collective processing events.|Medicinal Plant Exchange Design Sessions, Educational Interaction Planning|Initial Medicinal Product Exchanges, Educational Workshop Prototypes|Routine Medicinal Product Exchange Audits, Streamlined Educational Event Protocols|Final Medicinal Plant Exchanges, Closure of Educational Interaction Processes| - **Food System Localization** Facilitating collective relationships between regenerative farmers, local restaurants, farmers markets, and community supported agriculture programs, community members can increase the volume of food produced locally in their area. By forming new coalitions between existing producers and consumers, facilitated by a community currency or other method of incentive, community members can improve local resilience, generate collective power to advocate for regenerative land use policies, and increase their intimacy with those who grow their food. ||**Type: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Coalition**|**Conception**|**Gestation**|**Maturation**|**Decomposition**| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |**Culture**|Focus on local sustainability, community cooperation, and regenerative agricultural practices.|Community Sustainability Visioning Sessions, Cooperative Formation Meetings|Agricultural Education Programs, Community Building Workshops|Ongoing Sustainability Support Programs, Periodic Well-Being Assessments|Transition Support Workshops, Legacy Planning Sessions| |**Institutions**|Governance structures for CSAs, local food policy advocacy groups, coalition agreements.|Foundational Governance Structure Development, Local Food Policy Advocacy Group Formation|Cooperative Governance Protocol Implementation, Local Food Policy Finalization|Regular Governance Reviews, Policy Update Sessions|Dissolution of Governance Structures, Legal Processes for Property Transition| |**Incentives**|Improved local resilience, collective power for policy advocacy, closer relationships with food producers.|Initial Resilience Planning, Community Engagement for Policy Advocacy|Policy Advocacy Workshops, Relationship Development with Food Producers|Resilience Tracking, Community Feedback Collection|Final Distribution Planning, Documentation of Policy Impact| |**Infrastructure**|Local farms, farmers markets, distribution networks, community currencies.|Local Farm and Market Planning, Distribution Network Prototyping|Facility Setup, Network Beta Testing|Full Deployment of Farms and Markets, Continuous Improvement of Distribution Networks|Deactivation and Repurposing of Facilities, Final Network Closure| |**Interactions**|Flow of produce from farms to consumers, financial transactions through community currencies, collaborative planning for food production.|Produce Flow Design Sessions, Financial Transaction Planning|Initial Produce Transactions, Collaborative Planning Workshops|Routine Produce Exchange Audits, Streamlined Financial Protocols|Final Produce Exchanges, Closure of Collaborative Processes| - **Child and Elder Care** Both elders and children are often neglected in a hyper-capitalist society. By matching caregivers with those in need of care, an open platform for different modes of decommercialized care can facilitate greater provision of inclusive and post-capitalist caregiving services. Motivated by a culture of civic service, these new pathways for caregiving provide a key social function by directly empowering a community to coordinate time spent with children or elders. ||**Type: Open Platform for Decommercialized Care**|**Conception**|**Gestation**|**Maturation**|**Decomposition**| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |**Culture**|Valuing care work, community interdependence, and inclusive, post-capitalist caregiving practices.|Valuing Care Work Workshops, Community Interdependence Planning Sessions|Inclusive Caregiving Practices Education, Community Building Activities|Ongoing Support Programs, Periodic Well-Being Assessments|Transition Support Workshops, Legacy Care Planning Sessions| |**Institutions**|Caregiver certification and matching systems, community care agreements, service exchange protocols.|Foundational Caregiver Certification Development, Community Care Agreement Formation|Caregiver Matching System Implementation, Service Exchange Protocol Finalization|Regular Certification Reviews, Care Agreement Update Sessions|Dissolution of Certification Systems, Legal Processes for Care Resource Transition| |**Incentives**|Increased care provision, community support, enhanced quality of life for children and elders.|Initial Care Provision Planning, Community Engagement for Support|Care Provision Workshops, Quality of Life Enhancement Programs|Care Provision Tracking, Community Support Feedback Collection|Final Care Planning, Documentation of Quality of Life Improvements| |**Infrastructure**|Digital platform for caregiver matching, community care centers, scheduling and resource management tools.|Digital Platform Planning for Caregiver Matching, Community Care Center Prototyping|Platform Setup, Resource Management Tool Beta Testing|Full Deployment of Care Centers, Continuous Improvement of Management Tools|Deactivation and Repurposing of Platforms, Final Resource Tool Closure| |**Interactions**|Coordination of care services, communication between caregivers and families, scheduling of care activities.|Care Service Coordination Planning, Communication System Design Sessions|Initial Caregiver-Family Communication Prototypes, Scheduling Activity Workshops|Routine Care Service Audits, Streamlined Communication Protocols|Final Care Service Coordination, Closure of Scheduling Processes| - **Commons Hubs** Physical community “third spaces” are critical for education, culture, and community wellness. Templates for this civic stack would support the acquisition of real estate, shared use and ownership agreements regarding the financial needs and offerings of the space, and governance mechanisms for coordinating essential services and functions. These “third spaces,” in turn, would offer the community a place to convene, learn, share art, and engage in community wellness offerings like yoga, martial arts, sauna, or cold plunges. ||**Type: Community-Owned Real Estate Cooperative**|**Conception**|**Gestation**|**Maturation**|**Decomposition**| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |**Culture**|Emphasis on community engagement, cultural enrichment, and shared responsibility for common spaces.|Community Engagement Visioning Sessions, Cultural Enrichment Planning|Community Building Workshops, Cultural Activity Implementation|Ongoing Cultural Support Programs, Periodic Community Engagement Assessments|Transition Support Workshops, Legacy Planning Sessions| |**Institutions**|Shared use and ownership agreements, governance mechanisms for community spaces, financial management policies.|Foundational Use and Ownership Agreement Development, Governance Mechanism Formation|Shared Use Agreement Implementation, Governance Protocol Finalization|Regular Governance Reviews, Financial Management Policy Updates|Dissolution of Use Agreements, Legal Processes for Space Transition| |**Incentives**|Access to communal spaces, opportunities for cultural and educational activities, shared financial responsibilities.|Initial Communal Space Access Planning, Community Engagement for Educational Activities|Cultural Activity Development Workshops, Financial Responsibility Programs|Communal Space Access Tracking, Community Feedback Collection|Final Space Access Planning, Documentation of Financial Responsibility Impact| |**Infrastructure**|Physical community spaces, event hosting facilities, shared amenities (e.g., kitchens, wellness centers).|Community Space and Event Facility Planning, Shared Amenity Prototyping|Facility Setup, Shared Amenity Beta Testing|Full Deployment of Community Spaces, Continuous Improvement of Shared Amenities|Deactivation and Repurposing of Facilities, Final Amenity Closure| |**Interactions**|Scheduling and use of shared spaces, financial contributions for maintenance, coordination of community events.|Shared Space Scheduling Design Sessions, Financial Contribution Planning|Initial Space Usage Workshops, Event Coordination Prototypes|Routine Space Usage Audits, Streamlined Financial Protocols|Final Space Scheduling, Closure of Event Coordination Processes| - **Tool Libraries** Already well utilized in communities around the world, tool libraries are a civic stack that facilitates the shared use of expensive equipment that would otherwise not be available to the individual. Designing such a system using blockchain mechanisms like Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and DAO governance would facilitate streamlined and accountable access to shared resources. By providing templates for this proven civic stack, communities would be further empowered to share existing resources. ||**Type: DAO-Governed Resource Sharing Network**|**Conception**|**Gestation**|**Maturation**|**Decomposition**| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |**Culture**|Focus on resource sharing, accountability, and community empowerment through access to tools.|Resource Sharing Visioning Sessions, Community Empowerment Planning|Accountability Workshops, Resource Sharing Activities|Ongoing Support Programs, Periodic Community Engagement Assessments|Transition Support Workshops, Legacy Planning Sessions| |**Institutions**|Governance structures for tool use, lending agreements, maintenance protocols.|Foundational Governance Structure Development, Lending Agreement Formation|Governance Protocol Implementation, Maintenance Protocol Finalization|Regular Governance Reviews, Policy Update Sessions|Dissolution of Governance Structures, Legal Processes for Tool Transition| |**Incentives**|Access to expensive equipment, cost savings, increased community collaboration and resource sharing.|Initial Access Model Planning, Community Engagement for Collaboration|Equipment Access Workshops, Cost Savings Programs|Access and Savings Tracking, Community Feedback Collection|Final Equipment Distribution Planning, Documentation of Collaboration Impact| |**Infrastructure**|Blockchain mechanisms for managing tool access (e.g., NFTs), inventory management systems, booking and scheduling platforms.|Blockchain Mechanism Planning, Inventory Management System Prototyping|Platform Setup, Booking and Scheduling Platform Beta Testing|Full Deployment of Management Systems, Continuous Improvement of Platforms|Deactivation and Repurposing of Systems, Final Platform Closure| |**Interactions**|Lending and returning tools, maintenance and repair workflows, scheduling of tool use.|Tool Lending and Returning Design Sessions, Maintenance Workflow Planning|Initial Maintenance and Repair Drills, Scheduling Activity Workshops|Routine Tool Use Audits, Streamlined Scheduling Protocols|Final Tool Lending and Returning, Closure of Maintenance Processes|