The AskingCities
Handbook

Executive Summary1 min

Preface7 min

1The emergence of the AskingCities model8 min

• 1.1Civic hyperconnectivity
• 1.2From the bottom to the top
• 1.3The reason for a foundational Objective
• 1.4AskingCities : more of the same?
• 1.5An illustrative example (hypothetical but plausible)
• 1.6Why think about franchising
• 1.7What you need to get started (and what you don't)

2The AskingCities Method (MAX)5 min

• 2.1Why AskingCities Needs a Method
• 2.2The method as a narrative foundation
• 2.3The method as an evaluation tool
• 2.4The method as a guarantor of simplicity
• 2.5The method as a contract between cities

3An Ecosystem of roles: Askers , Givers and AskAuthors7 min

• 3.1Askers : the starting point of transformation
• 3.2Givers : the city's latent capacity
• 3.3AskAuthors : The Critical Role of the AskingCities Ecosystem
• 3.4The Functional Relationship Between Askers , Givers and AskAuthors
• 3.5Three Natural Ecosystem Stresses (and how AskingCities Solves Them)

4The Choice-Strategy-Action Trilogy4 min

• 4.1How the Option-Strategy-Action trilogy emerged
• 4.2The OSA trilogy as a result of the process

5A franchisable model for AskingCities6 min

• 5.1" Minimum Viable AskingCities " (MVAC): Getting Started Without Complexity
• 5.2Risks of a franchise and how to mitigate them
• 5.3From Case to Network: The Value of Global Coherence

6The seven strategies of the AskingCities model9 min

• 6.1Create Simplicity (SIM)
• 6.2Building interdisciplinary teams with key people (TMCs)
• 6.3Understanding the Givers Network and its Motivations (GVR)
• 6.4Construct Persuasive Arguments for Givers (PCH)
• 6.5Develop Good Impact Stories (STYs)
• 6.6Leverage the Institutional Supply Chain (SUP)
• 6.7Develop a Replicable Roadmap (RMP)
• 6.8How the seven strategies work together

7Actions as the operating engine of the AskingCities model3 min

• 7.1Types of actions in AskingCities
• 7.2Actions and strategies: a relationship of mutual dependence

8Territorial adaptation mechanisms in AskingCities3 min

• 8.1Optional Action Types
• 8.2Impact and risks of options

9How to Create an AskingCity from Scratch7 min

• 9.1A change in collective mentality
• 9.2Identify the "promoter core"
• 9.3Operational First Steps
• 9.4The first quick wins and first stories
• 9.5The importance of not overdesigning in the initial phase

10The " Minimum Viable AskingCities ": how to get started without unnecessary complexity5 min

• 10.1MVAC Essential Components
• 10.2In search of the right strategy
• 10.3Identification of the essential "core actions " for all of AskingCity
• 10.4Core Actions, MVAC, and Activation Sequence

11Critical success factors and systemic risks5 min

• 11.1Trust: AskingCities's main currency
• 11.2Operational simplicity: the principle that underpins all others
• 11.3Storytelling : the emotional infrastructure of the model
• 11.4Institutional alignment as a key to sustainability
• 11.5Finding the right rhythm
• 11.6Systemic Risks That Can Slow Down or Destroy AskingCities

12How to train teams based on the AskingCities hierarchy4 min

• 12.1The three levels of AskingCities training
• 12.2The central role of the AskAuthor in training
• 12.3How to Design an AskingCities Training Process
• 12.4Risks when forming AskingCities teams

13Activating AskingCities in institutions, universities and the Third Sector4 min

• 13.1A fundamental principle: AskingCities does not belong to any institution
• 13.2The University: the intellectual, relational and human engine of AskingCities
• 13.3Public administrations: territorial legitimacy and capacity for articulation
• 13.4The Third Sector: the emotional and operational heart of AskingCities
• 13.5The final key: building a network, not a structure

14How to Assess and Certify an AskingCity5 min

• 14.1What does it mean to evaluate AskingCities
• 14.2How an AskingCities assessment works in practice
• 14.3AskingCities Certification : Consistency Without Losing Diversity

15Civic University and Citizen Science5 min

• 15.1The transformation towards a civic university
• 15.2Citizen Science as a Source of Knowledge AskingCities
• 15.3A University's specific contribution to AskingCities
• 15.4AskingCities as a training and civic practice space
• 15.5A synergy that transforms all actors

16Conclusions4 min

• 16.1Identity vs. adaptation
• 16.2The primacy of the relational
• 16.3Quick wins as a cultural engine
• 16.4Storytelling and supply chain: a virtuous circuit
• 16.5Radical simplicity as a design principle
• 16.6Evaluation as interpretation
• 16.7Open Topics and Next Steps
• 16.8Closing

AGlossary of Terms2 min

BAskingCities Action Catalog by Strategies2 min