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How might we restore vibrancy in cities and regions facing economic decline? Read the challenge brief

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Mission #1
Explore Vibrancy
Share your definition of what vibrancy looks like where you live. Find out more...
Mission #2
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Tell us about the cities and communities you know are currently struggling or in the process of revitalising. Find out more...
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Mission #5 Surprise Us Find out more...

Empty No More

Storefronts Seattle rents empty retail spaces in between leases for creative purposes, benefiting artists, neighbourhoods, and building owners.
Storefronts Seattle is a non-profit organization that turns empty storefronts into artist and creative spaces. For artists, it's a low-cost opportunity to show off what they've got; for neighbourhoods, these featured spaces bring in traffic and business; and for building owners, their insurance and utilities are paid for while they look for new renters.
Mission #5 Surprise Us Find out more...

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Alex Todaro

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November 17, 2011, 05:48AM
Here is the program in Chicago. It's called Pop-up art loop, the cool thing is that all the spaces are free, artist only need to apply. http://www.popupartloop.com/artists.php
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Patrick Gazley's reply to Alex Todaro's comment

Patrick Gazley

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December 02, 2011, 04:00PM
Great to see these store fronts popping up in Chicago! Closed store-fronts can really be a "downer", whether in big cities or small towns.
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Vincent Cheng

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November 10, 2011, 05:30AM
Nice win-win-win!
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Yen Chiang's reply to Alex Todaro's comment

Yen Chiang

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November 10, 2011, 05:53AM
The best kind of situation!
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Anne-Laure Fayard

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November 24, 2011, 03:45PM
It is indeed a great win-win-win situation. Based on some work by architects on perceptions of streets and on the broken window theory http://www.openideo.com/open/vibrant-cities/inspiration/broken-windows-shall-we-repair-them-to-help-make-cities-vibrant/, having store fronts which are inhabited and lively by itself triggers interactions and lives. It'd be interesting - as Whitney noted in her comment - to see which shops stayed, but also who are the new stores that are attracted.
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Whitney Quesenbery

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November 17, 2011, 04:34PM
In Cambridge, Maryland, "popup shops" opened in empty storefronts for the Christmas season, funded by a city project. The hope is that they will survive and go on to become permanent stores. One of the two 2010 stores did.
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Adriana Valdez Young

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November 16, 2011, 10:31PM
In NYC, we also have No Longer Empty:
http://nolongerempty.org/
and in London, there's Meanwhile Space http://www.meanwhilespace.com/
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Meena Kadri

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November 16, 2011, 10:46PM
And in New Zealand a while back we had the Letting Space project: http://www.thebigidea.co.nz/news/whats-on-show-reviews/2010/may/69958-letting-space-free-store Looking forward to seeing how all this global goodness might inspire fresh ideas in the upcoming Concepting phase.
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Johan Löfström

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November 16, 2011, 09:01PM
I will try to talk to my city about exactly this, because I would want this concept! and it is always some empty shops here and there, because bigger shops in giant shopping malls are outside city centre.
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Yen Chiang's reply to Alex Todaro's comment

Yen Chiang

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November 16, 2011, 10:24PM
Where do you live? I would love to know how your endeavour goes. Best of luck and keep us posted.
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LaTeisha

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November 16, 2011, 09:26PM
Congrats on being today's onsite Featured Inspiration!

In New York, we have a similar program called SmartSpaces:
http://www.smartspaces.org

We also have a number of pop-up experiences that are located either in vacant real estate or in designated gallery/storefront spaces. Aside from art, I've seen everything from restaurants to fashion shows to wedding chapels to "indoor parks" happen in these temporary venues.
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Yen Chiang's reply to Alex Todaro's comment

Yen Chiang

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November 16, 2011, 10:22PM
Woohoo, thanks!

I'll definitely check out SmartSpaces the next time I get to head to New York. I just love the idea of seeing/tasting/experiencing something new someplace new!
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OpenIDEO

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November 16, 2011, 08:52PM
Congrats on this post being today's onsite Featured Inspiration!
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