Community Exchange Club

Concept:

A summary of the idea, the needs it serves, and a description of a possible pilot program

Pittsburgh is a city of distinct and diverse communities. Pittsburgh's neighborhoods there are dozens of communities that receive little attention. Creating a broader Pittsburgh community requires cultural exchange between neighborhoods in a common/neutral space.

The Community Exchange Club would be a traveling event, occurring monthly and visiting a new neighborhood community each month. Host neighborhoods would assemble a hospitality committee made up of community stakeholders, officials, business people and the civically engaged. Participants would receive a ‘Passport,' in advance to highlight the up-coming community of the month.

The event would take two forms:

By day, the club would be a mobile, high-tech café serving coffee and light fare. The day-long civic café would be a place for casual town-hall discussions featuring local activists, advocates, organizers, politicians, and officials in an approachable and accessible setting.

By night, the club would occupy a restaurant/lounge/community hot-spot that is unique and connected to the host community. A feature dinner would be accompanied by a cocktail hour and musical, art, or performance happening.

Priorities:

These ideals are integral to a successful project design

• Highlighting overlooked or disreputable neighborhoods
• Promoting ‘local-Pittsburgh'
• bridging gaps and building civic relationships between diverse neighborhoods

Concerns:

Possible difficulties, pitfalls, and obstacles to consider

• cost of upkeep
• securing space and active participation
• diverse promotion and attendance

Idea History:

Learn more about the idea, from genesis to dialogue

This concept incorporates portions of Bob's Bean from room 523, Passport to Pittsburgh from room 341, and Progressive Pittsburgh from room 432.

Bob's Bean developed from an idea for advocating e-Democracy with a mobile internet ‘civic' café that makes stops in different communities to promote voting and political dialogue via the internet.

Passport to Pittsburgh focused on cultural exchange and encouraging people to visit new and different neighborhoods to discover local secrets and favorites.

Progressive Pittsburgh proposed a themed dining club to create an experience incorporating politics, art, culture, and food in neighborhoods that receive less notice or have poor reputations.

Related Links:

Get to know these groups, organizations, projects, and authorities, their current and past activities, the possibility for consultation or partnership, and in-roads to collaboration.

• Pgh Young Professionals
• PUMP

General Questions:

These important questions are asked of each idea. Try your hand at answering them as a way to explore the idea and how to make it happen. Answers to these questions help to demonstrate the Idea's strength and potential for success.

1. What level is the idea at? (Research, Planning, Fundraising, Advocacy, Deployment, other (explain))
2. What is a reasonable next step/phase for the concept? How can investment move the idea forward?
3. What other resources or opportunities are available or necessary to make the idea happen?
4. What existing activities or organizations in Pittsburgh duplicate some or all of the program components? How can this idea compete with, complement, and/or learn from these other activities?
5. Who should be included in this discussion? Does the concept call for outside consultation or assistance from other organizations?
6. How should the idea be promoted?
7. How should project success be measured?
8. What questions should be asked of a proposal for this project?

Starter Questions:

These questions address some of the anticipated programmatic concerns that come with administering small projects. Consider them test questions for model projects-- responses should be incorporated into the project's design.

1. What communities will be involved, how will they be solicited?
2. How will the club travel?
3. How often will the club meet?
4. What programming will occur by day and by night?
5. How will club membership function?
6. How will club management be organized?