What could
Santa Cruz be?

Share your ideas for the future of Santa Cruz County. See where your neighbors agree. Help turn community voice into action.

Open to Santa Cruz County residents of all ages · Through June 2, 2026

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Join the conversation

Submit your own ideas. Vote agree, disagree, or pass on ideas from other residents. The more people participate, the clearer the picture becomes.

All responses are anonymous. No one can see who submitted, agreed with, or disagreed with any idea.

Stay in the loop

Want to see what Santa Cruz thinks? Leave your email and we'll send you the results when the conversation closes.

How it works

From community voice to democratic action

Adapted from Taiwan's vTaiwan process and inspired by What Could BG Be? in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

01 · Proposal

Surface what matters

Community dialogues and this online conversation surface priorities, concerns, and aspirations from across the county. AI transcription captures what's said so nothing gets lost.

02 · Opinion

Map where we agree and differ

Pol.is reveals patterns: where broad agreement exists across different groups, and where genuine differences remain. AI synthesizes large volumes of input into clear themes.

03 · Reflection

Work through the hard parts

Facilitated stakeholder dialogues, grounded in Pol.is findings, bring together people who represent different perspectives to navigate tensions and trade-offs.

04 · Legislation

Turn consensus into action

Where rough consensus emerges, it becomes the basis for policy recommendations. Decision-makers either adopt them or publicly explain why not. The full chain stays visible.

Listening Partners

Who's listening?

Listening partners are local leaders, organizations, and elected officials who commit to reviewing the findings and incorporating community insights into their work and decision-making.

Become a listening partner

Are you an elected official, organization leader, business owner, or civic group that wants to listen? Sign up and we'll share findings directly with you.

Thank you! We'll be in touch with updates.

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know

Who can participate?
Everyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Santa Cruz County, regardless of age. We want to hear from the whole community.
Are my responses anonymous?
Yes. All responses and votes are completely anonymous. No one can see who submitted, agreed with, or disagreed with any idea.
How will my ideas be used?
Your ideas and votes will be analyzed to identify themes, areas of broad agreement, and important differences. The findings will be shared publicly and delivered to listening partners — local leaders and organizations who have committed to reviewing and using community input in their decision-making.
If lots of people agree with an idea, does that mean it will happen?
Not necessarily. Broad agreement highlights a shared priority and helps leaders understand what matters most. But implementation depends on feasibility, resources, and jurisdiction. Where an idea can't be adopted, leaders are encouraged to explain why publicly.
How long is the conversation open?
From launch through June 2, 2026. The sooner you share your ideas, the more people will see and weigh in on them.
What is Pol.is?
Pol.is is an open-source platform where participants submit short statements and vote agree, disagree, or pass. The system uses machine learning to find patterns of agreement across different groups — without collapsing disagreement into simple majority votes. It's used by governments and civic organizations worldwide.
What is a listening partner?
A listening partner is a local leader, elected official, organization, or civic group that commits to formally receiving the findings and incorporating community insights into their work. You can sign up above.
How is AI used in this project?
AI helps transcribe community conversations, identify themes across large volumes of input, and generate clear reports summarizing what was heard. All AI-generated outputs can be checked against the original conversations. AI assists the process — it doesn't make decisions.
Who is behind this?
What Could SC Be? is a citizen-initiated project organized by community members, UC Santa Cruz students, and civic partners. It is not a government program — it starts with the community and connects to governance through elected officials and leaders who choose to listen. Inspired by vTaiwan and What Could BG Be?
About this project

What Could SC Be? is a community listening project for Santa Cruz County. We're using facilitated dialogue, AI-assisted synthesis, and the open-source Pol.is platform to help residents shape the future of their county — and to make public participation visible, legible, and connected to real decisions.

This is not a government program. It's organized by community members, students, and civic partners. It connects to governance through elected officials and local leaders who choose to listen and act.

This is more than a one-time project. We are nurturing a culture where people routinely participate in shaping decisions that affect their lives.

Inspired by
vTaiwanTaiwan's hybrid deliberation process connecting public participation to government action in 28+ cases
What Could BG Be?Bowling Green, Kentucky's community listening project — 7,890 participants, 3,940 ideas, 1M+ votes
Pol.is & The Computational Democracy ProjectOpen-source opinion mapping used by governments and civic movements worldwide
Partners
Right Livelihood CenterSupporting civic engagement and community dialogue
Institute for Social TransformationResearch, evaluation, and institutional support
Everett ProgramTechnology and social change curriculum
Students and Community OrganizersOutreach, dialogue hosting, and civic technology work