I went to visit the Memphis Manifesto website today to find it gone. Well, more accurately, that the account hosting the site had been suspended. You can click on that link if you don’t believe me.
Does anyone know why the site has disappeared? The physical manifesto is easily found as an Acrobat document. But I wonder what the disappearance of the site might portend. Since the impetus for the Creative 100 who met and signed the Manifesto came from Richard Florida’s Rise of the Creative Class, I wonder if this is a sign that the whole idea that cities must attract the creatives has fallen out of vogue.
The Manifesto it self doesn’t seem to be dated in anyway (in these days of fast technological development, ideas can get stale after 4 years). There doesn’t seem to be anything in there a community wouldn’t want to strive for.
So what happened? Did the dream die or has it morphed into a bigger, better concept that was only held back by the ideas on the old website?
Anyone know?
Joe –
As a Memphis host and co-signer, I can only try to highlight the following:
1) The “Creative 100” agreed to take back these ideas, experiences, and shared messages to our respective communities, and
2) Make a difference via individual- and community-driven call to action.
The demise of ye ol’ web site – while worthy of a lament – was likely a holdover. And will prove a surprise to others later. Yet, it afforded this opportunity to find your post – a welcome and delightful surprise – and permit me to join in the thought you shared.
I have left two breadcrumbs which should provide us more nourishment more frequently on this musing and maybe some others to continue to move us forward:
1) The weekly Smart City Radio, which I highly recommend as a long-time listener (and now feedburner fan); and
2) The evolving and re-energized Creative Class site, of course.
Warm regards!