Economy
A Real-Life Forum for Real Urban Issues
Urban Consulate aims to encourage uncomfortable—and inspiring—conversations in Detroit, Philly, and NOLA.
Claire Nelson realized that it’s hard to be a solo urbanist—and lonely, too.
The founder of Detroit’s Urban Innovative Exchange, a three-year initiative to highlight social entrepreneurs and creative placemaking projects, Nelson found that there’s a slew of conferences and professional development opportunities available to urban planners, architects, or folks who work in city government or economic development. But those aren’t necessarily accessible to localists launching start-ups. “The constituency of urbanists is very multi-sector and multi-disciplinary,” she says—but it’s sometimes hard to make connections and leverage networks, especially if you don’t have a formal seat at the table.