1. Digital City Mechanics
A system for creating jobs...

2. In 1998 we began building a Digital
City
In Trieste

3. Digitale Citta projecto
• Utilizzato a banda larga di Telecom Italia
• Ha lavorato con il Sindaco Illy
• Integrated, rich media UI design

4. Built on AJAX - 6 years before
AJAX
Focused on family
computing

5. Profile pages, Multiple personae

6. QTVR Shopping, Seniors
interfaces
Embedded
Apps

7. Real-time Video cams - in Clubs

9. We Cannot Create Jobs Fast
Enough...
• Job training is geared toward “old Job” Models
• Workforce training dollars are wasted
• Not clear how many freelancers exist
• Hi-tech industry doesn’t care

10. What is a Job? Its Changing...
• No longer 40 hours a week, into an office
• Virtual work habits & workgroups
• Online tools, apps & services
• Computers & handheld devices
• Freelance nation, Project-based economy

11. Hi-Tech Jobs for "normal people?"
• As high as 60% do not have hi-tech skills
• As high as 25% unemployed in some regions
• 25% of workforce are freelancers

12. The real Digital Divide
• Feeling comfortable using computers as a tool
to make a living, to get work done
• Not free laptops and net access and MS Office

13. Digital Economy Ecosystem building blocks

14. Hybrid of Technology and
Sociology
• Don’t just offer the tools to the people
• Make sure they USE them!
• Show normal BENEFIT and VALUE from on-line
technology - make a living, not just waste time!

15. A New Model for Creating Jobs
• Jobs require comfort online & with PCs
• On-demand skills & tasks
• Virtual workgroups - online tools
• Project based, peer network, social-based
• Involves producing LOTS of online multimedia
• Games, simulations, visualizations, videos, mashups, remixes
• Interactive multimedia + data = app economy

16. Open
Platform
• Built-in training curriculum
• Real-time Video Help
• Community Activity streams
• Online marketplace, Job board
• Community Timeline
• Community Media Channels

17. New Workforce Training
• Haves help the have nots
• Retrain workforce for
tomorrow’s jobs
• $25k per job instead of $60k
• Experts -> semi-skilled -> interns

18. Multiple levels - simultaneously
• Meta
• Entrepreneurial
• Community – Groups – Projects
• Individuals

19. Lots of Multimedia production
work
• Interactive Encyclopedias
• Knowledge bases
• Business Directory
• Apps, games, simulations, videos

20. Picking up where
Broadband Infrastructure leaves off
• Existing broadband infrastructure - stops there
• Gigabit networking
• Stable connection
• Entrepreneurial culture
• “ Sense of expectation"
• Citizen dashboards - Software infrastructure
• Emphasize multimedia production skills
• Community engagement programs

21. Community Engagement is our
Value-Added Differentiation
• Free training and Paid Internship programs
• Local business directories and on-line marketplace
• Community workshops
• Local community "bureaus"
• Free tech support for community organizations
• Multimedia content projects and newsletters
• People’s video help bureaus
• On-line viral marketing campaigns by local groups
• Encourage startups, independent workers, entrepreneurs

22. Three worlds over-lapping
• Silicon Valley Tech Industry
• College educated - Under-employed
• Students/Interns/Un-employed

23. The Elitist technology industry
• Comfortable in their success
• Don’t care about jobs for normal people
• Only focused on VC funded, home runs
• Intellectually stimulating

24. Under-employed, college
educated
• Never had a chance to put their skills – to use
• Need motivation – to care to look for better job
• No time for intellectualizing – just stay alive
• Short term focused

25. Students / Interns / Un-employed
• Need a job
• Need motivation to care – at all – about anything
• What’s Intellectualizing?
• “ Shouldn’ t there be digital jobs – for us –
too?”

26. An integrated system
New methodology – uses on-line tools and points
Points Video
Workshop Help
sEducation Desk
Internship
s On-line skills
Focus on intangible skills needed for freelance workers

27. An integrated system
All projects sponsored Interns placed into Learn by doing
by local brands on-going projects
Biz Video
Directorys
Projects Education
Games Sites
Visualizations
Trainers training Trainers

28. An integrated system Tech
Build trust in the
Citizens cluster around Support
neighborhoods
Projects and Events
Marketplac Orgs
e
Community
Projects Education Engagement
Live
“Content” channels flow Citizens support new events
Provide free tech support to
ways of learning community orgs

29. An integrated system Channels
Aggregate:
All activity leverages - Content Social
free open on-line - People Help desk
platform - Services Marketplace Media
Biz Directory
Community
Projects Education Engagement
Platform

30. An integrated system
Entrepreneurial - Jobs
Community
Projects Education Engagement
Platform

31. New kinds
ONLINE
CONTENT, Customize
of online MARKETPLACE &
marketing CLASSIFIEDS a city or
CORPORATE region
HYPER-LOCAL SPONSORSHIPS
RELATIONSHIPS
More
efficient
use of
workforce
training PROGRAMS PROJECTS SERVICES
dollars

32. BU S IN E S S
Corporate Sponsorships
• Socially conscious spend their marketing
budgets = creating local jobs
• Help build local cyber savvy workforce
• Train workers in online job skills

33. BU S IN E S S
Hyper-Local Relationships
• Authentic connection to vendors and customers
• Convince global brands to spend
money locally
• Timely, local, viral campaigns

34. BU S IN E S S
Online Marketplace & Biz
Directory
• Local businesses of all types – in our own online
local biz directory
• Goods and Services sold
• Provide delivery and fulfillment
• Webmercials for all listings and items
• Transaction and reputation services
• Craig’s list + Angie’s list + Etsy

35. Digital Economy Ecosystem
• Entrepreneurial culture
• Online job market
• Not just for companies, but individuals
• Support Independent workers, freelancers
• Collaboration, Communication, Commerce

36. DCM puts the deals together
• Build syndicate of local investors and stakeholders
• Create local subsidiary, own 51% of entity
– 49% = local investors, execs and staff
• Create accompanying 501c3
• Identify local industry to sponsor MM projects
• Global brands sponsor viral campaigns - gain access
to authentic hyper-local vendors and customers
– via our Biz Directory
• Setup and operate Bureaus and on-line Mktplace
– offer community free services
• Customize Citizen Dashboard to the City or Region

37. Tech Development
Tec h Design
Des ign
Platform, Plug-Ins
Development Games, V e s
G m sVideos
a e, id o
Pa om P gin
lf , l - s
tr u
Interactive Content Interfaces, T m le
I ef e, Templates
n r cs e p t
ta as
I eate o tn
n rc C ne t
t iv
I.P.
TAM P Jam aica C LE VE LA K ans as
A ND C ity

38. Digital City Mechanics
• Working towards this for 20 years
– (Odaiba, MediaBar, Trieste, SuperBowl XXXII, NOW.com, Blogging, Open Social Networking)
• Helped build an industry before
– (MacroMind Macromedia)
• Social networking platform
– (PeopleAggregator)
• Open standards
– (RSS, OpenID, OAuth)
• Let’s do it in KC!