Dunbar # for Cities?
The Flourishing City Model: Optimizing Growth
Do cities have a sweet spot for size? Join us for an online event exploring the concept of the "Dunbar number for cities" and the Flourishing City Model.
The Challenge:
Cities are engines of innovation and economic growth, but unmanaged expansion can lead to social isolation, decreased community spirit, and a strain on resources. In essence we can and have broken cities through perverse incentives that create "success".
The Idea:
Inspired by the Dunbar number (the optimal number of social relationships an individual can maintain), we'll discuss the potential for a "City Dunbar Number." This number would represent the ideal population size for a city to thrive in terms of:
Strong Communities: High levels of social connection and civic engagement.
Vibrant Economy: Sustainable growth and a strong tax base.
High Quality of Life: Low crime rates, access to services, and a healthy environment.
The Flourishing City Model:
This event will delve into Nick Smoot's Flourishing City Model, a framework to:
Formula for Growth Caps: How many residents in a community is the right number? Could there be math that underlies this so that a Mayor can actually answer, how many residents is optimal.
Measure Your City's Score: Assess and gamify your city's progress towards the "City Dunbar Number" and the individual and collective contribution of residents.
Cap Growth Sustainably: Once the optimal size is reached, jettison out pioneering families to welcoming communities through flourishing city partnerships that have social, civic, and economic incentives designed into the agreements.
Share Success: Partner with smaller, growing cities to share knowledge and resources in an equitable way to maintain momentum and growth in a distributed manner.
Part pioneering spirit, part community nurturing, and part economic win-win, this model paves the way for a future where cities can grow responsibly and sustainably.
Join the Conversation:
This online event is your chance to:
Hear insights on the City Dunbar Number and the Flourishing City Model.
Engage in discussions about the future of community and economic development.
Ready to build cities that flourish? RSVP for the event today!
P.S. There will be an opportunity to connect with others interested in this concept at the end of the event.