W H A T ' S N E X T ?
November 2017
After a two-year pilot thanks to support from Knight Foundation, we're ready to grow. We've tested the idea, we've had some hits & misses, and we're excited to connect even more people who are passionate about cities and improving the places they live.
C U R R E N T C I T I E S
We're eager to go deeper in our first three cities—
Detroit
Seeking: Underwriting partners for sponsor-branded programs on specific issues, interests & themes.
We have a fantastic host, a beautiful space in Midtown, and a loyal following with an appetite for more urban conversations & experiences.
We could activate our space 24/7. We could do more marketing to visitors & newcomers. We could host more national experts & thought leaders.
We could also do more travel study & exchanges in other cities to share Detroit talent & ideas with the world.
Philadelphia
Seeking: Underwriting partners for sponsor-branded programs on specific issues, interests & themes.
We have fantastic hosts, a landing place at Pipeline Philly in Center City, and a loyal following with an appetite for more urban conversations & experiences.
We are open to a storefront location. We also enjoy being "a moveable feast," moving around the city to showcase more places, projects, people & ideas transforming Philadelphia.
We could also do more travel study & exchanges in other cities to share Philly talent & ideas with the world.
New Orleans
Seeking: Underwriting partners to host more travel study, research & exchange.
We have received strong interest from our sister cities to host & guide more urban practitioners looking to study local culture, food, music, historic preservation, environmental planning, community resilience & more.
We'd also love to invite more New Orleanians to share their work in other cities—especially leaders in urban equity & sustainability.
F U T U R E C I T I E S
Some of the places & people who have expressed interest—
Memphis
We're really interested in Memphis. We've had great visits & talks with Carol Coletta, Leslie Smith, Lauren Kennedy, Gretchen Wollert McLennon, Tommy Pacello, Alex Feldman and the Memphis Public Library. Now the question is: where's the right place to start?
CHICAGO
We love Isis Ferguson & the crew at Theaster Gates' PlaceLab and Rebuild Foundation. Also Justin Williams at StoryCorps & Storyographers. Our founder is a Chicagoland native so her parents would be happy to do something closer to home. Pop-up at Stony Island Arts Bank or Garfield?
WASHINGTON D.C.
The District of Columbia obviously has plenty of its own consulates & embassies. But is there need here for one specifically tailored to urbanists? David Schon has been serving as an excellent Detroit ambassador. What more could we do?
PORTLAND
Claire's beloved sister Brooke lives here, and once hosted a very cool "Home School" series that is very much in the spirit of the Consulate. Could we host a series of urban exchanges at ACE Hotel, McMenamin's, EcoTrust or other?
MINNEAPOLIS
We love our friends Joan Vorderbruggen at Hennepin Theatre Trust and Carl Atiya Swanson & Laura Zabel at Springboard for the Arts and Creative Exchange. Could we try out a small-scale event or series? Where might be a good fit?
CHARLOTTE
We loved meeting Charles Thomas at the Knight Convening in Detroit. And our Consulate emissaries have loved their independent visits. Where might be a good place to start?
SAN JOSE
We really enjoyed the Knight Cities winners we met at the last convening—and Claire's father spent his teenage years here. Danny Harris, might there be a good fit for a pilot program?
LOS ANGELES
We received a nice message of interest, and had lovely visits last year. But we're daunted by the size. Where would this work best? Who should we talk to first?
ST. LOUIS
We got a really nice note from someone in St. Louis. We'd love to talk more!
Cincinnati
We love what Eric Avner & Megan Trischler are doing at People's Liberty. And we always follow what Casey Coston and Matt Anthony are saying & doing. Could we partner on a series of events at PL or elsewhere?
Buffalo
We're big fans of Ani DiFranco, who is all about that bi-urban Buffalo x New Orleans life. Anyone know the folks at Asbury Hall? Jim Boyle, point us in the right direction!
LEXINGTON
Three lovely Lexington leaders approached us separately at the Knight Cities convening, which tells us there might be a kindrid connection there. We'd love to explore a collaboration!
BALTIMORE
We love Baltimore. We love David Simon. We have friends here. We think of Detroit, Baltimore, Philly & Nola as kindred cities. Who should we talk to?
BROOKLYN
Once upon a time Claire lived in Fort Greene. It has changed much since then. She would be interested in partnering on something under the right conditions.
& MORE
...Oakland, Harlem, Atlanta, Houston, Nashville? We're partial to legacy cities and majority black cities. But we're open to imagining what an Urban Consulate might look like almost anywhere.