After two decades of pushing the boundaries of what it means to build a community (both physically and spiritually), the annual Burning Man festival has a lot to teach municipalities about providing services and fostering participation.
At the end of this month, Black Rock City, the annual temporary home to the Burning Man festival will swell from nothing to a population of 60,000 inhabitants. In an era in which, "Many seek to harness the creative energies of citizens to fill the gaps,
asking them to take a more active role in governance, service
provision, and even in creating new services," Black Rock City's successes in fostering participation, sharing and community can be a model for towns around America.
Jessica Reeder discusses 7 lessons Burning Man can offer your town, along with relevant examples from other communities:
- First, Adopt the Right Mindset: There are No Spectators
- Crowdsource The Budget
- Build Your Own Bank
- Share Your Profits
- Hitch, Surf & Crash
- Plug In to the Resource Grid
- Reprogram Your Government
FULL STORY: 7 Ways To Reinvent Your City, Burning Man Style
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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