HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 10126 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10126
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council April 10, 2018
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*a SUBJECT: MAKER SPACES/MAKER CITIES
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"Makerspaces" are the 21St-century solution to the wastes and excesses of the old industrial
model of production. They are collective opportunities to develop technology or tangible objects
for commercial purposes, lowering the entry fee into the competitive market and serving as
community hubs and hands-on education centers. As outlined in the book, Maker City: A Practical
Guide for Reinventing Our Cities (https-//makercity.com/book), published in 2017, Makerspaces
began to spread throughout Europe and North America in the early 2000s. Also referred to as
FabLabs or Hackerspaces, they began in the mid-1990s in Germany as collectives of
programmers. Some of the first, named c-base and the Chaos Computer Club, inspired U.S.
hackers during a Chaos Communication Camp meeting in 2007. Soon after, Makers established
the first fledgling spaces in New York, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco.
As membership grew, hackers began to purchase more equipment and work on physical objects
as well as create code. Some started to use the word "make" instead of "hack" in order to
distance themselves from the negative connotation of subverting computer programs, as well as
encourage a more creative and community-oriented ethos. Some now differentiate hackerspaces,
which typically focus on computers and programming, from makerspaces. Makerspaces are
typically facilities centered on crafting rather than repurposing hardware. According to
hackerspaces.org, there are currently 1,762 active spaces across the globe with 350 in
development. Of those, MAKE Magazine has cataloged over 100 within the U.S.
The Maker movement is not new. Tinkerers, inventors, and Makers used to do this in their
garages, basements, and workshops. For millennia, people have been manipulating objects to
suit their needs and transform the world around them. Our built world and the many inventions
and innovations that populate it are testament to the long history of making. Deloitte LLP Center
for the Edge highlights that, "What is new is how modern technologies, globalization, and cultural
shifts are enabling and motivating individuals to participate in making activities and removing
barriers all along the value chain, from design and prototype to manufacturing to selling and
distribution."
According to CustomMade.com (https-//www.custommade.com/blog/maker-movement/), the
maker movement is made up of some 135 million adults in the U.S. Makers use their skills to craft
items, contributing $29 billion to the U.S. economy annually. From 3D printers to laser cutters—
makers employ various tools to create their goods. The National League of Cities' "Discovering
Your City's Maker Economy" report, published on November 20, 2017, highlights that during the
early stages of the maker movement, participants required very little public support. Makerspaces
organically emerged as people with similar interests and hobbies sought a place to experiment,
tinker and learn. However, in recent years, this mindset has begun to shift, and the considerable
growth in the movement has caught the attention of local policymakers, especially those looking
to create new jobs that were lost in the recent recession. As internal operations grow and expand
outwards, makers are increasingly interacting with local government officials to determine how
best to support the movement. To encourage flexible innovation, policies should focus on the
long-term sustainability of this emerging industry.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10126
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council April 10, 2018
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*a SUBJECT: MAKER SPACES/MAKER CITIES
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Common ways to support the maker movement includes Public-Private Partnerships;
Makerspaces/Incubators/Accelerators; Maker Faires; Linkages to Local Manufacturing Growth;
and Innovation Districts. Many of these specific activities are highlighted in the July 28, 2014
report, "Maker Mayors Action Report - How Cities Are Fueling the Maker Movement Across the
USA: 100 Mayors Dedicated to Building a Nation of Makers.", from Manufacturing Alliance of
Communities.
Cities that have supported Makers have become known as Maker Cities. Maker Cities become
learning communities, changing the formal learning process. According to the Maker City book
previously cited, the informal learning environments include libraries, museums, camps, after-
school programs, community centers, recreation centers, and universities. College degrees are
starting to give way to faster and more lightweight micro-credentialing programs that prove
mastery of a specific skill or set of equipment.
Additionally, in a Maker City, new types of businesses are expected to emerge as a direct result
of the Maker movement including custom and digital fabrication using 3D printing, laser cutters,
and related technologies.
Furthermore, Maker Cities tend to become a magnet for talent, one that can attract the educated
while simultaneously making the most of the talent pool already in the community.
As part of the Economic Development Strategic Plan implementation, the Economic Development
team will be working with partners to map existing efforts and analyze the entrepreneurial
ecosystem, including Makers, looking for gaps. Additionally, there will be an effort to understand
the economic impact of Making in Fort Worth. This effort will support the vision of the plan, to
compete successfully on the national and international stage for creative, high-growth business
and the talented individuals who fuel them.
For further questions, please contact Robert Sturns, Director of the Economic Development
Department, at 817-392-2663.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS