Civic Dollars makes spending time outside even more rewarding

by Startacus Admin

The lowdown on the launch of the innovative Civic Dollars app that wants to reward people for spending time in certain public spaces

With the world becoming more open again, the opportunities for regaining fitness lost during the lockdowns, getting that fresh air many will have been unable to breathe, and to start socialising in an active environment again, will be key. 

For some, the re-emergence into the wide world is harder than they might have expected, suddenly thrust back into the world, surrounded by people, and a little additional motivation could provide a useful goal to focus on, no matter how small. 

Belfast-based Civic Dollars wants to reward people for spending time in certain public spaces, such as local parks. In so doing, they hope to help people to become healthier in both body and mind, as being in nature has been proven time and again to be beneficial to mental wellbeing - something that is much needed after more than a year of pandemic. 

By downloading the app, users can simply spend time in selected parks in Belfast and beyond, and start earning civic dollars. These dollars can either be donated to local charities and community groups who can use them to access support from local corporations, or they can be spent on rewards such as public transport passes, tickets to local attractions, clothing and other rewards to improve their lifestyle. 

As the project grows, more and more rewards will become available as more local businesses become involved. Particularly as the app can also be used to increase footfall for local businesses and events, hopefully increasing the interaction between the community and their small businesses.

As well as being rewarded for this time spent outside, dollars can be earned by reporting things like fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour. The goal of getting people healthier and more active goes side-by-side with the aim of reducing vandalism, littering, anti-social behaviour, and generally improving the experience of visiting these spaces for everyone. The app gathers insights as users spend time in these spaces, which are used for this purpose.

In Belfast, Civic Dollars is funded through the ‘Amazing Spaces, Smart Places’ project - itself  jointly funded by Belfast City Council and the Department of Justice via the Department for the Economy’s Small Business Research Initiative - and is part of the council’s ‘Smart Belfast’ programme.

With Leeds the next agreed UK location to pilot Civic Dollars in their City, we hope to see it expand quickly and successfully across the UK and Ireland in the coming months! 

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Published on: 10th June 2021