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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
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Mission #1 Explore Vibrancy Find out more...

The Eden Project

The Eden Project transformed an abandoned clay pit into the world's largest greenhouse. The world-class amusement park is not only stunning in its architectural and horticultural genius, it also has a viable and sustainable business model.
I had the privilege of visiting Cornwall, UK this summer and was blown away by the Eden Project. When I think about the vision and the heart that went into turning an abandoned clay pit into the masterpiece it is today, I'm inspired by what's possible when we let our imaginations meet our potential.

With thousands of plant species from around the world, the Eden Project is home of two tropical and Mediterranean biomes and the world's largest greenhouse. The world-class amusement park is not only stunning in its architectural and horticultural genius, it also has a viable and sustainable business model.

According to The Guardian, about 13 million visitors have come to the Eden Project, which cost £141m to build and is reckoned to have generated £1.1bn for the West Country in extra tourist spending to date. As a registered charity, the social enterprise puts all profits into local education and health programs for region of Cornwall.

Now that is vibrancy.

When asked if such an idea be franchised, Tim Smit, the visionary behind The Eden Project claims "We have looked into this, but we don't want replicas of Eden springing up around the world, like a kind of Disneyland. If we do go down this route, an overseas Eden should harness what's special about its environment."

…If you ask me, Detroit is special enough to host an Eden Project of its own. Let's make it happen!

Thanks to @davidhodgson for the idea jam @HubBayArea

Mission #1 Explore Vibrancy Find out more...

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OpenIDEO

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November 09, 2011, 11:27PM
Hi Tina, interesting post! Any chance you could find an image to go along with it? Images help grab attention and tell a story with higher impact. We know occasionally people have issues uploading images so let us know if you face any problems. You should be able to use the 'Update entry' button on the right of your post and follow the instructions to add images from there. Looking forward to seeing more of your inspiring ideas on OpenIDEO.
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Meena Kadri's reply to OpenIDEO 's comment

Meena Kadri

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November 10, 2011, 01:30AM
Great update, Tina!
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