The three-year-old crowdfunding website Kickstarter could very well be called a design incubator. Of 75,000 total project launches, the “design” category ranks third overall in dollar haul, and other categories like fashion and publishing easily overlap into the design disciplines. In this vibrant online community, socially responsible architecture and city design are gaining attention and pledges. Campaigns for parklets and other tactical urban interventions are becoming commonplace, in particular.

For now at least, burgeoning social entrepreneurship takes place informally. Despite a rumor that Kickstarter had added a fourteenth category called “civic,” company spokesperson Justin Kazmark confirms that no such launch is on the immediate horizon. He does note that internal conversations have been conducted concerning a new classification.