Global Culture

Prof. Mike Madison has published his Manifesto for a New Pittsburgh, recognizing above all that in an era of hyper-connectivity there are plenty of resources that cities must take advantage of in order to leverage the influence they have on other regions by means of their fellow citizens who have migrated.

In the 21st century, connectivity is key and king, and in that connected world, Pittsburgh has a unique asset, which we call the Pittsburgh diaspora: the thousands of people who live around the world yet who still identify closely with the Steel City. They grew up in Pittsburgh, worked in Pittsburgh, or have family in Pittsburgh. By identifying with Pittsburgh they energize it emotionally. We believe that it is possible to translate that emotional energy into economic energy. Pittsburgh can, should, and must recapture and benefit from the intellectual, economic, and cultural capital associated with the Pittsburgh diaspora. That capital is distributed geographically, but it can be invested locally.

In tone with my previous post big city, in which I wrote about how world change must start by focusing on big cities, the effort from Prof. Madison will likely lead to widespread change with roots in the Pittsburgh local scene, but impact well beyond it.

One piece of feedback I would offer to the Manifesto is that to talk about all the dependencies that Pittsburgh has on other cities, regions or countries has a negative connotation, almost of abandonment to the will of others. I believe it is much more productive to use the balancing force: influence. Influence that is exercised through the thousands of connected citizens that have a position of power in those regions. In a globalized world, it is true that every city depends on others, just as much as each city has influence on others. The main difference is that we can do a lot more with the latter.

A few additional observations on the principles stated by the Manifesto:

1. Connect and reconnect with the virtual Pittsburgh: this principle acknowledge that we live in a global society and that to be a citizen of a city doesn’t require to live in it. Those who have ties to the city can very well participate in its development.
2. Bring new resources to the region: in my opinion, to be connected to a city implies that you’re either producing or consuming resources from it. Either way this second principle is a consequence of the first one and I don’t believe it must stand on its own.
3. Energize Pittsburgh’s culture and community: the very elusive concept of culture makes an appareance here and we should be careful to understand its deep implications. Every city should have a personality of its own, a distinctive mark by which its citizens feel part of the community and no other one. Deeply engrained into their cultural learning are the codes that make the ties permanent, regardless of how far they go. Surfacing these cultural codes or values is in my opinion what “energizing” means in this context.
4. Listen for new voices: meaningful change is coming from citizens that had not been engaged in the political life of a city. It is them who understand the dynamics of this new global reality and master the various technologies that would allow for the virtual city to connect. I would add that if looking for new voices, there is a very well defined group of global citizens that posses the insight needed to drive this type of change.
5. Change the face of Pittsburgh: I applaud the recognition that new global cities must be inclusive of all immigrants, as they are agents of change for their respective cities and will lead to valuable opportunities.
6. Build on the best of Pittsburgh’s past: Our past is part of our culture. I don’t see how this principle is different from #3.
7. Recognize the geopolitics of the neighborhood: that is to say assume that all neighborhoods are now global.
8. One more principle I believe should be included is the realization that changing a city is the same as changing the world. By focusing our energies into developing all the other principles within the context of a particular city, we are also allowing for change to propagate throughout the world.

The relevance of this manifesto is already being appreciated by others such as another hundred years hence and CEOs for Cities.

Via Burgh Diaspora