Co-Creating the Next American City

In case you haven't read a local paper recently, pretty much all cities and towns across America are struggling with massive budget deficits.

They are suffering the ill effects caused by the chronic failure to invest in any quality, long-term planning (ex. inviting casinos to solve the crisis in public education?).

In pursuit of new models, many municipalities are calling on consultants and facilitators to help them re-think strategies for growth, sustainability and economic development.

Several emerging themes impact the thinking behind these initiatives: attracting and retaining talent, establishing knowledge-based economies, creating a place that your kids want to move back to after going of to college.

Oh yeah,... and jobs.

Many innovative solutions are afoot in rural Washington State, downtown Philly, Austin city limits and Basque Country.

The tallest change agent out there converting the crowds is Richard Florida. His book The Rise of the Creative Class has garnered much criticism, more praise and has left those who have bought in to his economic principles saying: "Cool. I get it. Now what do we do?"

In a piece entitled "Revenge of the Squelchers," Florida offers new data to support his central thesis -- that cities and suburbs can most effectively spur economic growth not by subsidizing big businesses with tax breaks but by tapping and harnessing human creativity and developing diverse, tolerant, and inclusive cities and regions that enable people to realize their economic dreams and lead the lives they choose. His new work finds that creative regions generate not only more jobs, but also higher salaries, more innovations, and more high-tech growth.

His newest book echos the spector of White Flight from the inner cities in the '70s and '80s, focusing on the danger of the Creative Class' exodus from (sub)urban life.

For all things Creative Class, visit: www.creativeclass.org

The Next American City was created by a new generation of urban thinkers and leaders, it explores the ongoing transformation of America's cities and suburbs. TNAC's central aim is to promote economic growth and development while encouraging social and environmental sustainability.

In Issue 7, Kids & Cities (January 2005), Sarah Kavage's article Yes, it is About the Artists: The Tacoma Story, profiles the citiy's economic development strategy that focuses not just on the arts, but also on the artists, yielding $1 billion in public and private investment downtown in the last five years.

Sohodojo is home of the nanocorp and small business revolutionaries, acting as an applied R&D lab serving solo and family-based entrepreneurs in rural and distressed urban communities.

Worldchanging.com's post Municipal Wireless, Innovation, and Politics details how major US cities like Austin and Philadelphia have taken the initiative to bring wireless connectivity to the general population, often in the face of tremendous corporate resistance.

Joe Sterling, a San Diego facilitator and descendent of hot-blodded Basques qued us into Mondragón.

Mondragón Corporación Cooperativa

[The collective] is the fruit of the sound vision of a young priest, Don José María Arizmendiarrieta, as well as the solidarity and efforts of all our worker-members. Together we have been able to transform a humble factory, which in 1956 manufactured oil stoves and paraffin heaters, into the leading industrial group in the Basque Country and 7th in the ranking in Spain, with sales of 10.400 million euros in its Industrial and Distribution activities, 10.000 million euros of administered assets in its Financial activity and a total workforce of 71.500 at the end of 2004.

MCC’s mission combines the basic objectives of a business organisation competing in international markets with the use of democratic methods in its organisation, job creation, promotion of its workers in human and professional terms and commitment to the development of its social environment.

Where it started:
http://www.mondragon.mcc.es/ing/index.asp

More on Mondragón from:
School of Cooperative Individualism
The Center for Rural Affairs
In Context: A Quarterly of Humane Sustainable Culture
Green Inofrmation