Spark Towns, USA is a new approach to entrepreneur-led economic development that will add connective energy to your community. Applying emerging research in zoning, social capital, and ecosystem building, this four-step program puts power into the ideas already moving through your town. Strengthen tech entrepreneurship, attract a stronger workforce, revive historic downtowns, support remote work, grow your maker movement, all through the simple approaches you’ll learn as you become a Spark Town!

 
 

Our four-phase process helps YOU see and strengthen YOUR creative energy.

 

METER READINGS

 

We start with our unique asset-mapping tool, spending time in-community learning how your creative energy flows.

  • We evaluate how new ideas flow into your community.

  • We identify where your energy is already strong and where you are paying for energy from other places.

  • We map out your networks looking for shorts that disconnect groups from power and conductors that move energy across sectors and topics.

 
 
 

FRICTION ZONES

 

With your energy mapped, we will shift our focus to developing zones in your community that will naturally spark creative energy.

  • We work with you to identify the best locations for friction zones.

  • We rank these opportunities as active, emerging, or potential to inform your investment strategy.

  • We then develop place plans for those zones focused on diverse use that will create intersections.

 
 
 

POWERHOUSES

 

Within those friction zones, we will design community-owned work spaces that concentrate resources to acceleration innovation.

  • We talk with your creatives and innovators to understand what they need.

  • We look for a vacant building in a prime location and a community group that can help run the space.

  • We make a plan to invest in high-access resources that will support the types of projects we see in your community.

 
 
 

PLUG-INS

 

Finally, we will leverage tools to make your energy magnetic so that more and more people plug into these resources.

  • We leverage branding techniques to ensure these places are highly visible and attractive.

  • We imagine experiences, challenges, and other events that will pull people into these networks.

  • We recommend creative placemaking investments that will make the energy of these locations palpable.

 

What spark towns looks like

We spent time in Richland Center, Wisconsin, turning Spark Town ideas into sample projects. Like so many small towns across America, Richland Center is struggling to grow. Recent Census data shows it lost 4.2% of its population between 2010 and 2020 at a time when our national population grew by 6.5%. This is the big energy loss we’re trying to reverse. We are reimagining small towns as magnetic, high-energy places that provide a higher quality of life and a more supportive environment. The images below give a sense of what you can expect.

The Rich Land Project

Richland Center already has a great brand built into its name. Rich land captures both its beauty and its industry. We played with that idea throughout. We transformed a historic building into a powerhouse (1) with a commercial kitchen as its central resource to grow more food entrepreneurs. We popped up a market (2) in a gap-tooth parking lot in its best friction zone. We imagined the growing Hispanic community at the heart of this new market. We added public art (3) that played with themes of land, adding dimension to the built-in brand. We also brought these concepts out to rural Bear Valley, imagining a remote media lab (4) and brewery (5) that could pull residents and visitors out to this part of the region.

 

 
 

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

Not ready for the full program? Spark Towns can still provide your community with support. Our team loves meeting your needs. Reach out with projects and proposals and we will work with you to design a contract that delivers what you need.

 

Planning

Need to update your strategic plan? Spark Towns can integrate many of our ideas into your planning process.

FUND RAISING

Have an existing project? Contract with us for support with grant writing or developing a fundraising strategy.

COACHING

We coach organizations and their leaders through the changes to help them support creative energy.

BRANDING

The writing place-based branding can elevate your local businesses and help them compete with chains.

EVENTS

We help imagine, plan, and launch community events that draw people into your creative energy.

PLACEMAKING

We understand how to leverage public art investments to have significant impact on the vibe of your community.

 
 

Get Started!

 

 

 

 
 

Smart communities are using ARPA funds to revitalize key corridors and strengthen entrepreneurship. Spark Towns can help you with both!