The research project "Civic Life of Cities" investigates the contributions of civil society organisations to society in and around cities. By comparing different metropolitan regions around the world, the project provides evidence-based insights on the contribution of non-profit organisations to the quality of life in metropolitan regions and on global trends affecting civil society.

Overview

The interdisciplinary research team from business administration, sociology, political science and urban research looks at issues on a societal and organisational level.

The focus is on questions such as strengthening civil society capacity, the impact of business management methods, organisational requirements for promoting democracy and social cohesion, and the role of civil society organisations in addressing climate change.

The project is building a long-term data base and publishing analyses and information on civiclifeofcities.org to enable further research.The project is supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). Further information can be found under this link.

New survey wave

While the data collected so far are being analysed further, the Viennese research team has also refined the questionnaire used. The result is a shorter questionnaire that in addition to established core questions also addresses new relevant topics. For example, the 2023 version includes more questions on aspects of social cohesion as well as on climate change mitigation by and adaptation of civil society organisations.

Organisations that have already participated in the 2019/20 survey are invited to participate in the new survey wave, as well as new organisations from the region that will be selected at random. From this survey strategy, we expect improved data on changes over time, and a representative picture of organized civil society in 2023.