– Your Bright Brothers Team
David Romako / Josh Yeager /  Brandi Walsh

The metaverse is already here, as we reported two issues back. Two more insightful studies show the powerful impact that immersive, virtual realities are predicted to play in the coming years — for all of us, and most definitely for younger generations. From shopping to events, concerts and even our own personal expressions in virtual realms, our preferences and predilections for online worlds are growing. Age and demographics play a big role in the appetite for these types of activities and experiences, however overall indicators point to an immersive future. This report from Morning Consult contains excellent visuals, with insights as to Gen Z’s lesser taste for sports, and fascinating tidbits from the U.K.’s Manchester City Football Club, Travis Scott and Ariana Grande. Marketing Dive takes a deeper look specifically into Gen Z, with research powered by Vice Media Group and Publicis Groupe-owned Razorfish. Brands should note an increased opportunity to, “…help enable those forms of self-expression and generate deeper loyalty and connections with Gen Z,”. So what does all of this mean for downtowns and districts like yours? And more importantly, we wanna know, which district will be the first to win a Pinnacle Award for their metaverse activations, events or interventions?!

We all need a little levity and extra reason to smile, and so with a resounding round of applause, we were thrilled to see that Portland, ME won in the Streetsblog USA bracket competition for “America’s Best Bus Stop”! It’s the simple things in life, really. While there were some heavy contenders (frankly, we had been rooting for Baltimore, as shown here), we’re equally as excited for the folks in this New England stronghold, who actually get to use the nation’s coolest stop!  Kudos to Portland, ME and artist Ebenezer Akakpo who designed the winning shelter!

Photo credit: Michael D. Wilson via Creative Portland

…Haitz’ Law (similar to Moore’s Law of computing) describes a rapid increase in output and a converse decrease in cost with regard to lighting? The concept, first proposed to the public at large at “Strategies in Light 2000”, when LEDs were predicted to become the most efficient light source by 2020. Fast forward two decades, and we now have cities of all sizes lighting up the night, activating their footprint — and in many ways nurturing night time economies and tourism. To learn more about some world-class examples of lighting as placemaking, check out our 2022 Trends Report “Lights, Camera, Activation” for some truly inspiring and illuminating case stories from around the globe. 

Wanna know what we think is good? Participatory budgeting. It’s a fairly recent addition to the realm of democratic norms, and it’s gaining traction! Dating back to 1989 in Brazil, the process has now been adopted by some 7,000 cities worldwide, and puts the citizenry in the driver’s seat with regard to how (some) of a city’s fiscal budget is allocated. That can range wildly from 1% to up to 20% of the annual budget, and the inclusionary process leads to transparency, conversation, education and citizen engagement. “You can’t get to solutions without dialogue,” states Shari Davis, co-executive director of The Participatory Budgeting Project. Cities like Boston, MA, Jersey City, NJ, Phoenix, AZ and others are implementing the practice at various levels, and so far the process has proven productive. Grand Rapids, MI for example is engaging the community to help decide its uses for $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars. It’s about building trust in the process and educating the populace which will benefit from the spends. Ultimately participatory budgeting gives the people a voice and a say in their own communities. We think that’s a good thing!

Incoming! Climate change is a game changer for many places that were formerly highly desirable. Everything from increased flooding to drought, to extreme heat and destructive weather patterns are forcing a new migration among Americans, and some cities are poised to welcome (or bear the brunt) of those fleeing their former utopias. In this piece from CNBC, an expert in climate resilience and sustainability, Anna Marandi, notes that, “I see climate migration as an opportunity for these cities to avoid the mistakes of urban sprawl,”  Marandi said. “They (climate havens) often have a vibrant, walkable downtown that might just need a little bit of revitalization.” For a list of possible climate havens, many in the North East, check out the article and let us know your thoughts on your city being a possible destination for those looking to escape the effects of climate change.

Photo credit: CNBC