For millennia, public spaces have been key to civic life, as places where society comes together to debate, learn, heal and celebrate collectively. Last year’s inaugural Public Space Invitational (PSI) in Boston made us all think about how public space can be used in ways befitting the 21st Century, by leveraging new models of engagement, lightweight hacks and technology. Examples as diverse as Lightwell, the City Hall Stairs of Fabulousness, and the exciting additions to the Greenway last summer demonstrated that the community has creative ideas that can make public space more functional and intuitive, as well as generally improve civic engagement.
Join us to discuss the role of public space in civic innovation, hear about this year’s Public Space Invitational, and dig into specifics of last year’s results from some of the inaugural PSI winners.
Speakers:
- Sam and Leslie Davol of Uni
- Michelle Laboy of LightWell
- Liz LaManche of Stairs of Fabulousness
In coordination with the Venture Café Foundation, the Microsoft Innovation and Policy Center will convene a conversation on Civic Tech on February 10, 2016, 5:30PM – 7:30PM at District Hall.
Register today: click here.
About Microsoft Innovation and Policy Center New England:
The Microsoft Innovation and Policy Center aims for Microsoft to be “of” the community, not just exist within it. Through the Innovation and Policy Center we are extending beyond the tech community to:
- Connect stakeholders from tech to the broader business, academic and government communities;
- Catalyze important technology and public policy discussions, and;
- Contribute more directly with the health and vitality of greater New England.
About Venture Café Foundation
The Venture Café Foundation is a non-profit whose mission consists of three pillars:
- Building and connecting communities of innovation
- Expanding the definition of innovation and entrepreneurship
- Building a more inclusive innovation economy
The Venture Café Foundation enhances and accelerates the innovation process through:
- Spaces for individuals and organizations to gather, tell stories, and build relationships, such as Venture Café at CIC in Cambridge, District Hall and soon the Roxbury Innovation Center.
- Programs that create connections, such as Captains of Innovation and the Innovation Visitor Bureau.
- Conversations and events that expand an understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship, such as the Innovation and the City conference and Civic Innovation Series.