These cowork spaces benefit the broader community when they are strategically located to highlight the educational assets of the city center, to add to the hip vibe downtown, or to bring relevance back to public libraries.
(Mountain Lakes, NJ, May 5, 2017) — Spaces which allow people with common interests to share ideas, equipment, and knowledge are becoming part of the urban fabric in many communities.
Makerspaces provide individual work space, meeting space, networking opportunities, and equipment such as 3D printers, laser cutters, milling devices, and other items that individual entrepreneurs might not be able to afford on their own.
Makerspaces are not only a boon to individuals, but can provide a vital boost to local economies by incubating small businesses and small-scale manufacturing, which has a renewed place downtown, according to Patrice Frey, president and CEO of the National Main Street Center.
"The exciting thing about these types of businesses is that they can be higher paying jobs, and their economic impact is significant," Frey tells Downtown Idea Exchange newsletter. In fact, there is a dollar for dollar return on investment for communities where small manufacturing businesses thrive when the multiplier effect is taken in to account. "That’s a nice return, in terms of investment," she says.
In addition to fostering startups, makerspaces benefit the broader community when they are strategically located to highlight the educational assets of the city center, to add to the hip vibe downtown, or to bring relevance back to public libraries.
More on makerspaces and their contributions to several communities appear in the May issue of Downtown Idea Exchange.
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About the Downtown Development Center
For over 50 years, the Downtown Development Center has acted as the information clearinghouse on practical strategies and tactics for revitalizing the hearts of our cities and towns.
The Group\'s main activities include publishing the widely influential Downtown Idea Exchange and Downtown Promotion Reporter newsletters; publishing relevant books and reports; and operating the DowntownDevelopment.com website.
Website: http://www.DowntownDevelopment.com