Now part of Research
Public Works questions are a form of civic research. Structured public inquiry now runs through the Research surface — this page continues to serve legacy Public Works questions.
Public Works
Civic research on the questions institutions face — with communities helping shape the pathways.
Public Works is the civic-track of Scenius research. Institutions pose real questions; participants contribute perspectives, evidence, and proposals; a transparent scorecard — not raw popularity — surfaces action priorities.
SCENIUS PUBLIC WORKS
Civic Signal Billboard
How Public Works moves
A civic participation pipeline
Public Works is where communities and institutions co-author the questions that shape what gets built next.
- Step 1
An institution poses a question
and the Scenius community submits potential pathways.
- Step 2
Scenius selects finalists
using a transparent scorecard. Wildcard pathways are protected.
- Step 3
Participants surface the strongest pathways
through structured voting that reveals where the civic case lands.
- Step 4
A winning pathway is announced
with clear reasoning behind the selection.
- Step 5
Members express implementation interest
joining a contributor pool the institution may activate.
- Step 6
The institution advances the initiative
and the community continues to shape it as it moves forward.
Swipe to see the next step
The public scorecard
Scenius values discovery, not just popularity.
Finalists are selected using these eight signals together — never a single vote count. Each cycle may protect a highly original or underrepresented pathway that shows meaningful promise.
Community Support
How clearly the community resonates with this pathway.
Originality
Whether the approach offers a meaningfully new angle.
Real-World Feasibility
How buildable this is with realistic resources.
Constructive Discussion
Depth and thoughtfulness of the conversation it sparked.
Contributor Interest
How many people have signaled they want to help build it.
Institutional Relevance
Fit with the institution's mission and capacity.
Diversity of Approach
Variety of perspectives and disciplines engaging with it.
Wildcard Potential
Original or underrepresented pathways with promise.
Each cycle may protect a highly original or underrepresented pathway that shows meaningful promise — the wildcard signal exists so the loudest pathway never crowds out the most interesting one.
How Scenius treats your participation
- —Scenius does not sell personal user data.
- —Institutional partners receive aggregated public-interest insights, not individual profiles.
- —Community-generated ideas remain attributed to their contributors.
- —Participation helps shape real initiatives, programs, and projects.