Cities present a paradox to innovators, entrepreneurs, and young people with a passion for improving urban life and public services. On the one hand, cities can seem like perfect candidates for innovation, with important problems that are far from solved, and the kind of rich data that problem-solvers love. On the other hand, cities are bureaucracies, and even the most visionary civil servants operate in an environment that doesn’t exactly…
Recently, we were asked by Johannesburg Inner City Partnership (JICP) on behalf of the Makers Valley Collective to partner with them on a unique proposal for Creative Placemaking. The proposal was solicited by the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg and asked for local organizations on the ground to propose work supporting inclusive growth in South Africa: promote conscientious urban revitalization in low-income urban neighborhoods through “creative placemaking” that integrates community-based arts…
Maker advocates and localists all over the world are using the Maker City book to create new forms of innovation and economic opportunity. We recently had the opportunity to travel to Israel and to interview Maker advocates from South Africa and Jordan. Next month we’ll be featuring our work in Israel including a visit to a high-impact makerspace located in Galilei. To whet your appetite, here’s a short video with…
