ABSTRACT
This chapter examines grass-roots, community-based experiments in the use of new Information and Communications Technology (ICTs) to empower individuals and urban communities and promote local civic participation and social inclusion by drawing on case studies of community informatics initiatives in urban Canada, conducted under the auspices of the CRACIN project. Many of Vancouver Community Network's (VCN) public computing initiatives focus on using new ICTs to organize and empower marginalized individuals and groups. Recent CRACIN research by Dechief explored the role that urban community networks in Canada play in promoting civic participation by new immigrants and other marginalized groups. The development, standardization and commercialization of wireless technology for amateur and home internet use in the last few years have enabled the ad hoc creation and sharing of wireless internet infrastructure in neighbourhoods and communities throughout North America, Europe and the UK.
