The City of San Jose, CA and Nextdoor have collaborated to connect neighbors, strengthen neighborhoods, and build a strong community with the use of technology. The city seeks to encourage a positive outlook on dealing with the “new normal” economy by changing residents from being blaming, complaining, demanding customers to engaged citizens who help solve problems and care about the wellbeing of the community.

Other objectives include changing the role of cities from a top down, paternalistic power relationship that tries to solve all problems and provide all services to an equal partnership with citizens. Ultimately this project is intended to provide cities of all sizes with a new way of dealing with the “new normal”: less revenue, fewer staff, reduced services with the same high expectation from residents.