Civic Dollars

Important Partners

Civic Dollars, Moai Digital, and Dublin City Council

Impact

• 1,185 users engaged during the trial period
•  1,509 hours of activity generated across 5 participating Dublin 8 parks
• 5,400 ‘Civic Dollars’ earned with 44% donated to local community groups and charities
• Three issues were identified in the park and reported by users
• Won Best Use of Media Relations at the 2022 Awards for Excellence in Public Relations
• Data gathered will be used by Dublin City Council to analyze park usage and allow for future planning and infrastructure improvements

Civic Dollars was one of the five winning proposals selected for the first call for pilots launched in March 2021, which addressed three key community needs that had been previously identified with the Community Survey: mental health; population health management; and Covid-19 impact. 

Civic Dollar is a local currency project, aimed to enable people to earn digital currency by spending time in local parks. 

Civic Dollars is a smartphone app to encourage the use of public parks and drive better health outcomes for the community. 

It rewarded visitors with digital currency for spending time in participating Dublin 8 parks, which could then be exchanged for goods and services from local businesses or gifted to local community organisations.  

The app did not measure users’ steps or distance in the park, just the time spent in a zone, ensuring that users with mobility or health issues are not discriminated against and can participate fully.  

The technology used for Civic Dollars is non-invasive and privacy-friendly, by only using GPS data and allowing users to opt in once they enter a park. Data is anonymised, and a user’s session will end automatically once they walk out of the park geo-fence.  

The pilot aimed to incentivise the use of green spaces, decrease health inequality and help citizens who were not active to take part and improve their well-being. 

Smart D8 welcomes expanded project partnerships with institutions, universities, and experts alongside community representatives. Contact us at info@smartd8.ie