'Local Collaborative Agenda for Economic Recovery!' ECCI XII - 12th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION Faro 14-17 September 2011 (http://www.eaci.net/eccixii/)

1. ‘Local Collabor ative Agenda
for Econ
omic Re
covery!’
José Carlos Mota
Department of Social, Political and Territorial Sciences
University of Aveiro | PORTUGAL
(jcmota@ua.pt & https://www.facebook.com/josecarlosmota)

2. This strange E wor(l)d Subprime mortgage
only 2% of the world
1 capital flow is related
Crisis
C
re to ‘real economy’
di
n
tur
t
cr
n
ow
un
D ch Public & Private
Un Debt
em
plo
ym
en Rating Agencies
l t
a
ob s &
Gl al America, Europe
pit ets Slo
Ca ark w (South & Ireland)
M do are in trouble
wn
Recession
a non economist view…

3. What do we mean by crisis?
2 Different dimensions
Economic/Financial: ‘public & private
debt’ -> ‘very high interest rates‘ -> ‘risk
of bailout’ -> recession
Political: regulation of financial global markets’
& ‘rating agencies’ -> ‘democracy issue’
Social: ‘income inequalities’ -> ‘high
unemployment rates’ -> ‘protests in
the streets’
a non economist view…

4. How we are facing this crisis?
3 Guilty Issue
Banks, Investment
Banks & Funds
Rating Agencies
Central Banks
Governments: Greece, Portugal, Ireland & Spain
And what have we done?

5. Solutions for the crisis?
4 How to get out? Portugal
Cuts, corrections and adjustments > Reduce Public
Debt? Cuts on Public Investments? Tax increase
(taxpayers & enterprises)? Reduce Civil Servants?
And what about economic recovery/growth? How are
we going to create jobs? How can we mobilize society
to this huge challenge?
If we don’t answer these how are we going to pay
the debts? What will be our future?
alternative?

6. Need a Plan B different way to think about the
future & economic recovery!
5
Bottom-up approach to balance top-down
economic & financial policies
‘Local Collabor ative Agenda
for Econ
omic Re
covery!’
Collaborative approach
involve communities/local Need different public policies
authorities/universities/stakeh & methodologies
olders in looking for creative New forms of collective action
answers to ‘economic growth’ [in an individualist world]

7. Reinvent the role of cities and citizenship
to stimulate economic ‘recovery’
6 based on a ‘Cidades pela Retoma’
Portuguese civic movement proposal
Spatial based development policies
centred in cities
Cities: critical mass (people / knowledge /
power) -> opportunity to connect local/global
-> test, learn & spread
Inspired in Saskia Sassen idea
'every city has it own micro-stories that can
make them global cities' -> ‘we have to go to the
streets and talk to people’

8. Agendas to challenge cities & economic recovery
7
&
u re
ult tive
C a y
Gr een tion Cre nom
c o
Co nstru Ec
Cities Local
oft lity
S bi Fo
od
M o Active
Ageing

9. Collaborative Agenda for Recovery!
8 Ambitious idea
‘Social Innovation’
Collaborative Approach [in a individualist paradigm]
& DIY approach
Promoted by: Local Authorities or by qualified civic
groups or both (strengthened local democracy)
‘Low-cost & high-impact’ (‘Knowledge
based’) Ideas for Places, challenging
different agendas

10. Action: linking knowledge to action
9 Mapping Knowledge
(scientific/popular) about Cities &
five Agendas (free and public
access knowledge repositories)
Mapping City Civic Groups
(‘Global City 2.0’)
Mapping Stakeholders &
Key Projects (each agenda)

11. Action: linking knowledge to action
10
Connecting Citizens - ‘create
neighbourhood civic centres managed
by citizens using vacant spaces) (reinvent
‘Casas do Povo’ old concept – João Seixas, Lisboa
Ideia 2011)
Connecting Local
Authorities/Stakeholders/Knowledge
(‘local hubs to recovery’)
Connecting Places, Ideas, Promoters
and Money: ‘low-cost & high impact
ideas’ & ‘city crowdfunding system’

12. Now, it’s time for you to take action
Coming Soon to a City Near You!
Autumn/Winter 2011
‘Local Collabo rative Agenda
for Econ
omic Re
cov ery!’