in the united states the new markets tax credit is a nonrefundable tax credit intended to encourage private capital investment in eligible impoverished lowincome communities marples invitations for public participation in policymaking seem to be more widespread than ever particularly in cities with traditional town hall meetings but also city governments increasing use of social media and crowdsourcing opportunities on topics ranging from climate change to urban planning such tools for bottomup engagement may contribute to the emergence of a new participation economy in cities especially to remedy some sort of democratic deficit in large cities where the distance between policy makers and citizens may erode trust in institutions