Building an enthusiastic creative community in DC
CreativesParis?
I'll be in Paris on July 4-13 to study the kinds of places, scenes and events that could inspire us here in DC. If anyone has suggestions of people I could meet that would help my mission, perhaps even establish a sister community to CreativesDC, please let me know!
Here's a little story on Paris' drive to attract creatives...
Did you know Paris, unlike New York, London and Tokyo, is not a 24/7 city? Most restaurants close on Sunday and do not serve after 10:30 pm in the evening; supermarkets close at 9 pm; long working hours are unheard of; the subway closes between 1 am and 5 am...
Does that make a difference? Tremendously, according to Christian Sautter, the deputy mayor in charge of economic development and finance, "When we came into office in 2001, we had a city proud of its history, its beauty, its tourism, but employment was decreasing, population was decreasing, young families could not afford to stay here because they had trouble finding affordable housing. So we decided to work in three areas: culture, high technology and transportation.." And to Paris Mayor Bertrand Delano, that means greener, more high tech, less uptight.
So, to help attract the vaunted creative class by making it easier to work (as well as live and play) 24/7, they're:
- Building a tram system to circle the city so they can Metro across neighborhoods rather than having to transfer at the city center each time and considering extending the Metro hours;
- Establishing 400 free wi-fi hot spots with plans to lay fiber-optic cables to 80% of its buildings by 2010;
- Providing more public events and amenities so citizens who can't afford to live in Paris can at least hang out there, such as at the summer-time 'Paris Beach' along the river Seine.
- Measuring progress by how much people don't drive or use motorized vehicles, which allows more space for people, pedestrians, walking commuters.
Views: 5
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Comment by Sacha on June 24, 2009 at 3:56pm -
can i go? Please, please ;)
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Comment by Nicolas Laget on June 24, 2009 at 4:55pm -
Ah... Paris... What? You didn't know the French would rather be on vacation than at work? Nice to see somebody is trying to change that. Let's see how many generation it takes... Hehehe.
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Comment by T. A. Zook on June 24, 2009 at 5:54pm -
If a visit to the Cité de la musique (http://www.cite-musique.fr/anglais/cite/presentation.aspx ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cit%C3%A9_de_la_Musique ; http://www.parisdigest.com/museums/museedelamusique.htm) isn't already on your Paris "to do" list, I think that you'd find it worthwhile. Even if no performances are scheduled for the time of your visit, just immersing yourself in the ambiance of this wonderful place will be an experience you will not soon forget.
If you would like to arrange a meeting with a staff member, senior personnel are listed at http://www.citedelamusique.fr/anglais/cite/infos_pratiques/contact.aspx .
Enjoy your trip!
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Comment by Elizabeth Ward on June 28, 2009 at 4:15pm
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I have a wonderful contact in Paris - he is a musician and the A&R of a record label there. Knows all of the best places and inspirational spots. His name is Rabih: rabih@ringsideproduction.com. Definitely understands the idea of the creative collective.
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Comment by Neil Takemoto on July 14, 2009 at 12:11pm -
As a follow up, we've been offered to video stream events from Paris that feature some of their most creative businesses, via La Cantine, a coworking space in Paris sponsored by the government. Last week they streamed a live concert performed completely digitally at La Cantine. Also, there's a possibility for a sister group to CreativesDC called 'Le Paris Creatif', starting with perhaps a way to host fellow creatives between countries. If you're interested, comment below!
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