Developer to crowdsource creative downtowns

It’s not often that you hear a headline like that, and I’m not sure it’s ever been claimed actually, but the real estate development firm, Renaissance Downtowns is committing to indeed, crowdsource downtowns. Not only that, but they’re focused on attracting creatives, with the help of CoolTown Beta Communities.

“Renaissance intends to address the needs of the Creatives by engaging this emerging market through crowdsourcing methodologies that have lead to the success of many technology offerings such as Amazon, Google and Wikipedia.

To address the changing needs of the American consumer, communities will have to provide the following attributes:
• Active, more engaging environments
• Artistic and cultural scenes
• Vibrant 24/7 economy filled with energy
• Preservation of a place’s history
• Tolerance (openness and diversity)
• Economic sustainability and environmentally sensitivity
• Multi-use transit oriented options
• Proximity to Mega Regions”

As CEO Don Monti puts it, “Our goal is to understand what the market truly wants, and deliver that to them.”

Focused primarily in the Northeast, the Renaissance team has established a unique Unified Development Approach of public-private partnerships with cities that are transitioning from the industrial economy to the knowledge economy. Renaissance provides the capital for development, at a scale of up to 1500 new walkable downtown residences.

Many of these cities are repositioning their downtowns to better attract knowledge workers to not only compete, but survive. If you’re associated with one of them, you may want to give the development team a call, as they’re in the reconnaissance phase of identifying which cities to invest in. They’ll also be at, and a sponsor of, the placemaking conference of the year, at CNU 17 in Denver, June 10-14, which I’ll happen to be at.

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