Throughout the country there are regions that have a thriving civic innovation ecosystem. Columbus is right there being consistently recognized as one of the world’s most intelligent cities. We are a smart and open community anchored by world-class institutions, businesses, and celebrations.
But civic innovation isn’t just the presence of organizations, their talent, and their work. In a report by the New America Foundation, The 2050 City: What Civic Innovation Looks Like Today — and Tomorrow, highlights civic innovation is made up government, nonprofits, the business community, and citizens that want to volunteer their time and resources to building a better city.
To become a truly national and international destination Columbus needs to bring the good work of our city’s creative class together to influence and align policies and programs to create meaningful impact in our region.
We need to create a blueprint.
The Civic Innovation Blueprint Series sponsored by Forge Columbus is designed to kick start community conversations and foster partnerships that advance innovation in Columbus. Each event in the series focuses on one of five of “challenge areas” as defined by the City of Columbus: Cultural vibrancy, neighborhood improvement, economic prosperity, transportation, and sustainability.
The event series is open to the community and individuals and organizations are encouraged to bring their existing plans to further develop and find opportunities for collaboration. Ideas and recommendations from each event are also used to guide future Forge Columbus projects. The next Civic Innovation Blueprint event will be held on Tuesday, March 25th at Strongwater Gallery (400 West Rich, Franklinton). We encourage you to join the conversations and action that are defining the future of Columbus. Forge on.
For more information, visit www.forgecolumbus.org.