AboutTheCity: Civic Engagement in 21 st Century Smart Cities/Communities Abstract AboutTheCity is a work-in-progress that addresses the critical issue of civic engagement in 21 st century cities and communities. A solution is proposed in the form of a mobile software application, platform, and network. Entitled AboutTheCity, the innovation leverages social media tools, practices, and approaches while exploring notions of ambient culture, ambient privacy, and peer sharing economies. Using a case study approach, three cities serve as sites for iterative development. This work is expected to contribute to the empirical research literature for smart cities; to conceptual modeling for civic engagement; and to practical solutions for citizen engagement around local issues and concerns. Author Keywords Ambient culture; ambient privacy; civic engagement; collaboration; peer sharing economies. ACM Classification Keywords C.2. Computer communication networks; H.4.3. Communication applications; K.4. Computers and society. Introduction AboutTheCity (ATC) is an application, platform, and network supporting new possibilities for people to meaningfully engage with the city and with each other. As such, ATC is a co-creation opportunity focusing on livability, infrastructure, and art/culture/design. ATC enables everyone to think about new ways for cities, local communities, and neighborhoods to collaboratively engage in addressing pressing issues associated with rapid urban growth [1]. The ATC innovation combines information and communication technologies (ICTs) with social media to identify new approaches to civic engagement as a critical component for smart cities [2] and learning cities. ATC offers a space for designing, building, and studying 21 st century infrastructures collaboratively, working with real-world issues. ICTs and social media are leveraged for problem solving, learning, and making in local contexts and situations, contributing to active and thriving communities. CSCW’15, ITCL Workshop, 14-15 March, 2015, Vancouver, Canada DOI H. Patricia McKenna AmbientEase, Inc. #541, 185-911 Yates St. Victoria, BC V8V 4Y9 CANADA mckennaph@gmail.com