**Open Ccivic systems** are the tangible expressions and shared artifacts of the field—the networked organizations, social organisms, and collaborative structures that embody open civic innovation in practice. Open civic systems are, by definition, social organisms, groups of individuals choosing to coordinate for mutual benefit through collective action and self-organization as part of their social ecology. Built on open civic utilities such as identity, coordination, and resource-sharing tools, these systems manifest as civic "products" of the philosophy, practice, and community. They are not just concepts, but living systems that people use, adapt, and build upon to care for themselves, each other, and the places they belong to. Open Civic Systems represent the **what** — the actual implementations, the working prototypes, the templates and blueprints that communities can deploy. Each system is simultaneously: - A **functional solution** to a specific civic need - A **learning prototype** generating knowledge for the commons - A **modular component** that can be composed with other systems ### Key Transformations **From Institutions to Extitutions**: Traditional bureaucratic institutions are transformed into frameworks for self-organization that provision the same services through participatory coordination mechanisms. Extitutions rely on open protocols rather than enclosure to coordinate essential services through webs of relationships. **From Extractive to Prosocial Incentives**: Economic systems shift to align positive feedback with holistic markers of wellbeing. Prosocial incentives reward contributions to commons and markets that produce holistic well-being and mutual thriving, rather than extraction and enclosure. **From Fragmented to Networked Infrastructure**: Infrastructure evolves from physical substrates to conceptual frameworks for coordination. Open protocols become the DNA of social organisms, providing non-enclosable patterns of human self-organization that can be modified and adapted like genetic code. ### **Characteristics** All open civic systems share core design characteristics: **Modular** - Divided into discrete, self-contained units - Each module can function independently - Modules can be combined to create more complex systems **Interoperable** - Different systems can work together seamlessly - Exchange information and coordinate functions - Regardless of underlying technologies or governance structures **Composable** - Components can be assembled in different configurations - Tailored to specific community needs - Adapted and remixed for diverse contexts **Inclusive** - Accessible to all members of a community - Designed with equity and participation in mind - Account for diverse abilities, languages, and cultural contexts