Seeding New Creative Cities in the Lusosphere
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1) The document discusses opportunities for seeding new Creative Cities in the Lusosphere through emerging tools like online learning, freelancing markets, crowdfunding, and partnerships with platforms like AirBnB. 2) It proposes using Special Economic Zones, land grants, and Community Land Trust models to generate sustained funding from increases in land values, as seen in places like Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Singapore. 3) Universities could partner with private developers and local governments to establish "Endowment Zones" that fund scholarships and initiatives to incubate Creative Cities through annual ground lease revenues.
Seeding New Creative Cities in the Lusosphere
- 1. Seeding New Creative Cities in the Lusosphere Mark Frazier Startup Societies Foundation LSA conference on The Lusophone World: Global and Local Communities Universidade de vora. Portugal June 28, 2019
- 2. Questions well explore u Can new Creative Communities grow in the Lusosphere? u How can local and global actions best speed their emergence?
- 3. Creative energies abound u The Lusosphere draws on vibrant cultures from Africa, South America, Europe, and the Pacific u Already, its music, art, design, food and fashion inspire global markets u Yet the current UNESCO- designated Creative Cities account for only a fraction of the overall talent pool
- 4. Why it matters economies are shifting
- 5. The changes will help creative ventures thrive New tools u Affordable telecommunications u Anytime/anywhere learning u Global freelance marketplaces u Online funding platforms Emerging creative economy Billions now can learn, design, and co-create across borders Current economic system National policies limit who can play and determine who wins
- 6. Free online courses provide anytime, anywhere learning Thousands of online courses from Unicamp, FGV, MIT, Harvard, Yale, and other leading universities are offered free of charge
- 7. Creative talent now can directly access thriving global freelance markets u Millions of freelance artists, photographers, musicians, writers and web designers in Asia, Europe and the Americas have registered in free-to-join online markets for telework u Tens of thousands of Portuguese-speaking freelancers are now competing for online jobs (little awareness).
- 8. Volunteers and donors are backing grassroots creative ventures
- 9. Local arts and music projects have discovered crowdfunding Portuguese language sites: Embolacha, Kickante, Catarse, Sibite
- 10. Creative ventures in once-isolated areas are earning income from global product sales
- 11. AirBnbs online platform now promotes creative experiences including cultural tours, art workshops, and music events
- 13. A near-term path to sustainability: creative ventures can partner with AirBnbs Local groups can propose public arts projects, music events, festivals, cleanup/fixups, and neighborhood safety campaigns to draw new visitors AirBnb hosts, in return, can share part of their increased earnings with partnering groups as the area improves
- 14. What does this mean for aspiring Creative Communities in the Lusosphere? u Immediate opportunities to build skills, find jobs in creative gigs regardless of location u Opportunities to generate revenue from online sales of creative products, and crowdfunding of local arts and cultural events u Innovative partnerships opportunities that promote cultural experiences and tourism, on a revenue sharing basis u These can create fast tracks for communities that are now at the margins to emerge as hubs for creative endeavors
- 15. What about sustained funding for the next wave of Creative Cities? Community-driven arts and cultural initiatives can share in land value gains as neighborhoods improve
- 16. Vehicles for sharing the new asset gains: land grants and Community Land Trusts Hundreds of universities worldwide have received land grants for sustainability Thousands of Community Land Trusts let members enjoy affordable housing Stanfords Tech Park Joint Venture
- 17. Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau embody a success-sharing land trust strategy Singapore Macau Hong Kong
- 18. How to supercharge land values: Offer Special Economic Zone incentives Zonamerica Free Zone (www.Zonamerica.com) Uruguay has introduced reforms surpassing those of Hong Kong and Singapore, transforming a cow pasture into some of the most valuable land in the Americas (with 10,000+ tech workers)
- 19. How Special Economic Zones sparked Chinas takeoff In 1979, Shenzhen was a fishing village with a population of under 10,000. There China launched its experimental reforms, with Hong-style low tax and open trade policies. Today, it has become the worlds Silicon Valley of Hardware, with more than 11 million residents. Land values have risen more than 50-fold. Now China has more than 100 similar zones of liberalization.
- 20. Liberalized zones are mushrooming Example: a new $10 billion Chinese- funded Special Economic Zone is being launched in TanzaniaMore than 3500 Special Economic Zones exist today in 100+ countries
- 21. Endowment Zones: a lasting way to generate revenue for common benefit Endowment Zones are sites where Community Land Trusts benefit from investor-friendly reforms. With world class reforms, such as cutting taxes and red tape, 5x 50x rises in property values are possible. Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Macau today operate on a land trust model, and are earning billions of dollars from long-term ground leases rather than from selling their land. Proceeds help fund education and social services, as well as growth dividend payments (in Macau) directly to residents. Endowment Zones can be a source of sustained funding source for new Creative Cities in the Portuguese speaking world.
- 22. Endowment Zones can be used to fund new Creative City initiatives A scenario for UNILAB a Brazil-based University for the Lusosphere to deal with budget cuts? The university could seek land grant endowment partnerships to seed and fund new Creative City initiatives in the Portuguese-speaking world. With added Special Economic Zone incentives, the land could grow in value and lease revenues could help UNILAB spread scholarships for creative, work-study experiences, organize global contests, and help with global crowdfunding of promising local events. Other beneficiaries of Endowment Zones could include in-country universities, associations of creative professionals, music and film festival organizers, and online education/training providers.
- 23. A scenario for Portuguese-language universities to globally help incubate new Creative Cities u Seek private and public sector land grants on the model of North American land grant universities (Stanford, Duke, Cornell and 70+ others) u Secure targeted Special Economic Zone incentives (e.g. innovative anticorruption measures to improve the climate for investment, eGoverment fast approvals for investment, reduced taxes, and red tape) u Attract risk-taking private developers to develop the sites on a revenue- sharing basis u Commit shares of the annual ground lease income to fund annual scholarships and fellowships for Creative Cities initiatives u Help seed and spread Endowment Zones for creative industry initiatives throughout the Portuguese-speaking world
- 24. The Belt and Road Initiative An Asset-Awakening Opportunity? u China has pledged US$4-8 trillion for a global network of ports, roads, railways and Special Economic Zones. u This New Silk Road could fund Endowment Zones and infrastructure projects connecting Creative Cities across Brazil and other South America countries.
- 25. Initial projects already are moving
- 26. Conclusion Lusophone universities and global allies of their choosing can help talent enter thriving new markets and set up endowments for creative ventures on a self-funding basis. These steps can speed emergence of new Portuguese- speaking Creative Cities. These can enrich the Lusospheres contributions in the changing times ahead. Thank you! mark@startupsocieties.org