Sparking a culture of entrepreneurship by activating public spaces
The Hubs and Spaces Initiative was created to spark a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship by activating public spaces throughout Long Beach. The City’s intent is for these spaces to serve as catalysts in recruiting creative firms, co-working spaces, and collaborative enterprises and overall support the growth of local businesses in Long Beach. We are currently in the process of activating the first public space: Harvey Milk Park.
An example of how the City is using it’s process of buying goods and services to help activate and transform Harvey Milk Park, the City of Long Beach released a Request for Solution (RFS) in September 2016, looking for innovative ways, through furniture and technology, to turn an accessible downtown plaza into a cutting edge outdoor space where people can meet and collaborate, Additionally, solutions had to be useful, durable, functional, and had to creatively incorporate the legacy of Harvey Milk, leader of the LGBTQ+ movement.
Eight finalists were selected to showcase their work for two weeks in December 2016 where the community tested and voted on the types of furniture, charging stations, and technology solutions. Additionally, the City is using an iterative process of co-creating a public space through stakeholder and community engagement by activating the park in different phases to help the City gain a deeper understanding of what works and doesn’t at the park throughout 2017.
VISIT THE HARVEY MILK PARK MICROSITE»
