I study civic technology and public participation in cities. For over two decades, I have worked at the intersection of media, technology, and democracy, designing tools and processes that enable more equitable participation in public life.
I am the author/editor of five books and over 50 articles on participatory urban technology. My books include The Urban Spectator (Dartmouth, 2010), Net Locality: Why Location Matters in a Networked World (w/ Adriana de Souza e Silva, Blackwell, 2011), Civic Media: Technology, Design, Practice (w/ Paul Mihailidis, MIT Press, 2016), Ludics: Play as Humanistic Inquiry (w/ Vicki Rapti, Palgrave, 2021), and Meaningful Inefficiencies: Civic Design in an Age of Digital Expediency (w/ Gabriel Mugar, Oxford University Press, 2020).
I founded and directed the Engagement Lab at Emerson College from 2010-2024, where I led dozens of collaborative design projects locally and around the world, bringing the public and civic sectors together to foster democratic process with technology.
My forthcoming book How Institutions Listen: Civic Data, AI, and the Path to Public Trust, will be published by MIT Press in October 2026.
Download my full CV here.
MISI advances research and practice at the intersection of media, technology, and democracy. We investigate how media influences democratic participation and trust in public institutions - particularly in New England. Our work is directly informed by those most affected by today\'s pressing social challenges.
"We need to be experimenting with technologies and approaches to storytelling that are in support of democratic movements, institutions, and people who are working towards a more just and equitable society."Visit MISI Website →