Downtown Project

Las Vegas City HallIt all started with the plan to move Zappos Headquarters to the former CityHall building in Downtown Las Vegas. What could that campus look like?How could it influence the city around it? How could it help to revitalizeDowntown?

GoogleThere are some corporatecampuses that you neverhave to leave—with diningoptions, outdoor recreation,gardens, even your dog. Buthow do the people thereinteract with the communityaround them?

NikeOr what about Nike’s World Headquarters? They have a swimming pool,soccer fields, volley ball courts, workout facilities, and more.

AppleThe Google, Nike, and Apple campuses are all amazing. And Zapposconsidered creating a similar HQ and polled their employees about whatkinds of amenities they would like at their workplace.

Doggy Day CareWhen Zappos employees were surveyed about the amenities they would prefer tohave in their new campus, doggy day care was the number one request—nothuman day care..

NYU CampusRather than build a campus that’s insular, that doesn’t create reasons for peopleto leave, Zappos decided that it would be more interesting to create a campusthat interacts with the community around it, that encourages people to interactserendipitously with people they might not otherwise meet. A campus thatfunctions not only as a workplace, but also as a community gathering space.

Downtown Las Vegas Fremont EastSurrounding the future Zappos HQ is an amazing neighborhood called FremontEast. It’s filled with bars, restaurants, and shops run by local business owners.It’s the kind of neighborhood where people run into friends on the street, whereany bar or restaurant you visit, you’ll see someone you know.

Downtown Las Vegas Fremont EastIt’s actually one of the most community-focused neighborhoods you canimagine—in the place you would least expect it. Downtown Las Vegas.Downtown Project was created as its own entity with a mission to help torevitalize the neighborhood and catalyze the growth of the community.

DOWNTOWN PROJECTA $350 Million Investment $ 50M Small Businesses $ 50M Tech Startups $ 50M Education, Arts, Culture $200M Residential & Real Estate

DOWNTOWN PROJECT GOALSLive/Work/Play – Walking DistanceThe Most Community-FocusedLarge City in the WorldThe Co-working Capital of theWorld

ROI vs. ROC Instead of maximizing short-term ROI: Return On Investment We focus on maximizing long-term ROC: Return On Community

THE BIG BET . . . Accelerating Community, Learning & Serendipity …will lead to… Accelerating Happiness, Innovation & Productivity

$50M Small BusinessesWe’re investing in up to 200 small businesses in Downtown Las Vegas. All ofthose Post-Its represent small business ideas. We have four criteria for smallbusinesses that we’re interested in: Are you passionate about your idea?Does your idea contribute to community in some way? Are you capable ofexecuting your business idea? Is your business model sustainable?

Entrepreneurs: “What would you be passionate about doing for 10 years even if you never made a dime?”

$50M Tech StartupsWe’re investing $50 I’mmillion dollars in techstartups like Romotive Romo!that are located here orare willing to move theiroperations to DowntownLas Vegas. Techstartups can growrapidly and create jobsquickly. We believe youcan change the worldwith a laptop.

$50M Tech StartupsWe’re also investing in spaces for coworking, so startups can have affordableplaces to work where they can inspire each other and collaborate in ways thataccelerate innovation.

$50M Tech StartupsWe’re working with Venture for America to bring up to ten of their Fellows toLas Vegas this year. They’ll be working with us on Downtown Project andtransitioning into positions with local startups. VFA is a program that sendsyoung, talented college graduates to work in startups to hone theirentrepreneurial skills.

$50M Education, Arts, CultureWe’re partnering with Teach for America to bring 1,000 corps members andalumni to teach in the Clark County School District. We’re also planning to build aK-12 charter or private school in Downtown Las Vegas.

$50M Education, Arts, CultureWe’reinvesting inorganizations like FirstFriday, tosupportgathering ofthecommunityand thecelebrationof the localarts scene.And we’re hoping to work with organizations like Burning Man to bring exciting,new public art to Downtown.

$200M Residential & Real Estate We’re inspired by the book Triumph of the City and the idea that knowledge is more powerful than space. When people live closely together, they interact more frequently which creates more opportunities for them to learn from each other. Accelerate serendipity -> Accelerate learning -> Accelerate productivity and innovation

WHEN CITIES DOUBLE IN SIZE . . . Productivity and innovation per resident increases by 15% But it’s not true for companies

HOW TO ACCELERATELEARNING & INNOVATION Maximize the number of serendipitous interactions Accelerate learning opportunities Increase the metabolism of the city

3 INGREDIENTS FOR SERENDIPITY 1. Residential density of at least 100 residents per acre 2. Street-level activity for residents to collide 3. Culture of openness, collaboration, creativity, and optimism

GROUPS COLLIDINGDOWNTOWN 1. 2000 Zappos employees 2. 1000 Teach For America corp members and alumni 3. Tech Startup Community 4. Small Business Community 5. Art and Music Communities 6. Other Passion Communities 7. Local Residents

Learning from Zappos and Coworking Culture is to a Company as Community is to a City Values Innovation Serendipity Participation Upward Mobility Attracting Startups and the Creative Class

Our Secret Weapon …When people come to visit us in Downtown Las Vegas, they find exactly whatwe found. A place that is vibrant, interesting, and community-focused. Andthey want to stay, to move their companies here. They get it.

LEARNING FROM TED, SUMMITSERIES, SXSW… Curated Content Serendipity Learning Connections CommunityWe’re creating a space where innovators, dreamers, doers, and throughleaders from around the world can come to share ideas in Downtown LasVegas—to enrich the community, to inspire us all. Call it a Downtown Mini-Residency program.

OUR BIG BET…3 Guiding Principles Accelerate: 1. Serendipity/Collisions 2. Community/Culture 3. Learning And everything else will fall into place… (productivity, innovation, growth, happiness) What will people say about Downtown?

DowntownWill Make You SMARTER

50% of HumansCurrently Live in Cities

Within our lifetime75% of all people will live in cities

We’re thinking of The City as a Startup

DowntownLas Vegas:The City ofPossibilities

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Downtown Project

by downtownproject on Jul 03, 2012

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