Burning Man -- the annual arts festival and self-reliance experiment -- is more than a party in the desert. Its organizers are starting a new effort to revitalize the neighborhood around their San Francisco office.
The organization recently moved its year-round offices into a troubled part of San Francisco. They are hoping to make a positive impact on their surroundings.
"The Burning Man Project's first grand plan is to turn Central Market into an arts and innovation district, complete with art walks and festivals, as well as pop-up retail stores and galleries (though there are no plans for a giant, flaming effigy). The organization is already in talks with the Mayor's Office of Economic Development about how to turn these ideas into reality. "The immediate idea is of cutting through systems haven't worked before for how to change an area," says Grace.
The Burning Man Project plans to spend the rest of the year on the Central Market project. But that's just the beginning. The project also envisions working on everything from a social enterprise program that teaches businesses how to employ the 10 principles (a la Toyota's Production System Support Center) to an educational program that offers certificates in dispute resolution and leadership training."
FULL STORY: Burning Man's Big Plan To Reshape A Depressed San Francisco Neighborhood
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research