To love one s city and have a part in its advancement and improvement is the highest privilege and duty of a citizen. Daniel Burnham
Hi. I m Josh.
A little about me:
I grew up in United Way.
I run a laboratory.
I m mildly obsessed with Thomas Edison.
My mom s a painter.
My dad s a retired CEO.
I m left-handed.
I occasionally dress like Elvis.
I like to start things with other people. D:hive HAILE S KITCHEN placemarket PM
For some (or maybe all) of these reasons, people seem to keep calling me a leader in civic engagement.
Which brought me to the question...
What is civic engagement?
Looking online, I find it in a sea of sometimes meaningless words...
SOCIAL INNOVATION SYSTEMIC CHANGE PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT SOCIAL CHANGE URBAN RENEWAL SOCIAL ENTERPRISE CITY BUILDING COMMUNITY IMPACT DESIGN FOR GOOD SOCIAL IMPACT COMMUNITY BUILDING OPEN GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL PRACTICE COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION CREATIVE PLACEMAKING CIVIC INNOVATION CONSCIOUS CONSUMERISM DESIGN FOR HUMANITY SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
So I went to my heros to seek help.
Simplify, simplify. Henry David Thoreau
And then I looked to popular culture.
I don t understand what anybody is saying anymore Dan Pallotta, Harvard Business Review, 12/5/11
Can drinking make you conservative? Chris Mooney, rollingstone.com/politics, 3/26/12
The assault of sustained thinking yielded definition.
Civic Engagement: the act of being the change you want to see in the world.
From protecting the planet to restoring neighborhoods, the Humanity Immune System seems to be kicking in.
But its not always pretty.
That leads us to the question: How do we equip citizens to be the change they wish to see in the world when there s no manual?
Process & Projects:
Choose a problem Identify champions Fall in love with problem Observe problem in wild I I I Develop your process Invent/Innovate/Integrate Seek wise counsel Perform intensive research Set 1 wk/1 mo/1 yr goals Plan an end Package and design Build a coalition Give it all away Document lessons Measure progress Take action
A few examples:
The problem: Losing talent in Chattanooga, TN
The problem: Chattanooga was not a 24 hour city
The problem: Artists, Artisans and Creatives without business skills
The problem: Investments were going to institutions instead of individuals.
The problem: Limited art patron base
The problem: Less trees than other cities
The problem: Canceled opera season
The problem: Limited vision for the future
The problem: New talent arriving
The problem: Abandoned planters
The problem: Depressed business area
The problem: National perception of Downtown Detroit sharply contrasts our Lab s experience
One final thought...
[ Little Thing No. 22 ] Love problems not solutions
So what problems does your city love?
And how can you equip citizens to take action on them?
Lessons are more important than projects.
A Few Little Things Everyone Can Use: [ Little Thing No. 001 ] In all things, be hopeful & helpful [ Little Thing No. 002 ] Design is not an afterthought [ Little Thing No. 003 ] Seek wise council [ Little Thing No. 004 ] Invest in individuals, not institutions [ Little Thing No. 005 ] Don t tell story, dwell in story [ Little Thing No. 006 ] Compensate connectors [ Little Thing No. 007 ] Honesty is the only policy [ Little Thing No. 008 ] Give everything away except your time [ Little Thing No. 009 ] Happiness is a pursuit [ Little Thing No. 010 ] All things must come to an end [ Little Thing No. 011 ] Simplify [ Little Thing No. 012 ] Collaborate but never compromise [ Little Thing No. 013 ] Work on what you are [ Little Thing No. 014 ] Walls are a last resort [ Little Thing No. 015 ] Retention leads to attraction [ Little Thing No. 016 ] Change is a place-based sport [ Little Thing No. 017 ] [ Little Thing No. 018 ] Community is not a zero sum game [ Little Thing No. 019 ] Build platforms not institutions [ Little Thing No. 020 ] Ideas are global, action is local [ Little Thing No. 021 ] Don t confuse movement with progress [ Little Thing No. 022 ] Love problems, not solutions [ Little Thing No. 023 ] Act as much as you think [ Little Thing No. 024 ] Passion has a shelf-life [ Little Thing No. 025 ] Pull before pushing [ Little Thing No. 026 ] There are no laws, only theory [ Little Thing No. 027 ] Innovation is a cross-disciplinary sport [ Little Thing No. 028 ] Bake the cookies right to start with [ Little Thing No. 029 ] Visualized data drives accountability [ Little Thing No. 030 ] [ Little Thing No. 031 ] Don t mix your metaphors [ Little Thing No. 032 ] Innovation is applied creativity [ Little Thing No. 033 ] Do the work no one else wants to do [ Little Thing No. 034 ] Everyone is an LLC [ Little Thing No. 035 ] Design down, not up [ Little Thing No. 036 ] Choose experience over compensation [ Little Thing No. 037 ] Advertising can save humanity, but not by itself [ Little Thing No. 038 ] Scale changes focus [ Little Thing No. 039 ] Provide frameworks for dreaming [ Little Thing No. 040 ] Stick to strengths [ Little Thing No. 041 ] Ego: a certain amount is a must [ Little Thing No. 042 ] Lead by example, without imposing answers [ Little Thing No. 043 ] Invention cannot be crowd-sourced [ Little Thing No. 044 ] Your car isn t the only thing that needs a dashboard [ Little Thing No. 045 ] Pair hot dogs & high brow [ Little Thing No. 046 ] Never believe your own bullshit [ Little Thing No. 047 ] Ideas precede coalition [ Little Thing No. 048 ] Convert residents to citizens [ Little Thing No. 049 ] Give a damn & act accordingly [ Little Thing No. 050 ] Say what you mean [ Little Thing No. 051 ] Boycott arranged marriage [ Little Thing No. 052 ] Time is of the essence [ Little Thing No. 053 ] Short order isn t just for greasy spoons [ Little Thing No. 054 ] Equip gatekillers not gatekeepers [ Little Thing No. 055 ] Invest in youth and they will deliver
Small actions trump chasing smokestacks.
Sometimes the little things you do in life turn out to be the really big things. W.H. McManus Jr.
Thanks. reallybigthings.org