Makerspaces as Downtown Assets

Makerspaces have been employed around America as places where people can congregate to learn a trade, perfect a skill and socialize in a setting that is safe, convenient, well-served and productive. The videos and discussion below describe what Makerspaces are and how they are being deployed to use physical spaces and equipment to advance social and economic sustainable lives. 

Consider two situations. 

First, makerspaces are places that need spaces that are generally large open areas in locations that have “retail” characteristics…they need to be accessible to people who walk or drive to the location, they need to be in safe neighborhoods and they need to be in a mixed setting with other active uses. Generally, makerspace organizations are NGOs with adequate but not exorbitant funding. Makerspaces by their very nature are mobile; they can move from spot to spot as their spaces become too expensive or otherwise uninhabitable.