Here’s an interesting projection for you: given annual increases in labor and manufacturing costs in China, in five to six years it could cost the same to produce that same product in the United States. Think about that for a second. Sure, we probably won’t be producing iPhones in the US given the amount Apple has invested in China’s supply chain, or because of the fact that they can be so responsive to spikes in consumer demand. But electronics aren’t the only opportunity. Perhaps, however, the ace in the hole is our ability to produce consumer goods locally that are already seeing a spike in American production– things like soap, ceramics, ethically sourced and produced clothing, etc.

Today I had a meeting with Janet Lees, director of programs and communications for SFMade– an organization in San Francisco that is building a robust network of companies that manufacture consumer goods within the city limits. 300 companies within their network make everything from iPad cases, handbags and beer to electric motorcycles. All in, it’s equating to roughly 2,500 jobs and 80% of San Francisco’s total manufacturing sector– two very impressive figures. Aside from that, it provided 10.5% more new jobs in 2010, so it’s also a growing sector. All of this completely revamps the idea of modern urban manufacturing– for San Francisco most definitely, but how can we learn from this in Detroit?

We have the space. We have the supply base– that is, hundreds if not thousands of people and businesses making stuff. We have the infrastructure to support light and heavy manufacturing. We even have low business barriers. The two hurdles we need to jump in Detroit are two of the things that make San Francisco’s manufacturing sector so successful: an able and willing consumer base that demands the goods and a mayor’s office that supports their growth and activity. All of which presents interesting options and ideas for Detroit’s forward progress. One, let’s try to align public and private resources around cultivating the growth of what is already a robust network of makers (perhaps by starting a task force that funnels resources in to infrastructure improvements to already vacant properties). Two, consider the creation of an organizational body similar to SFMade.org to give the Detroit-based companies a unified voice. Three, let’s put politicians in office that support this kind of activity and want to build it in as part of Detroit’s identity. Four, let’s tell the world about it and get these goods sold in every city in America.

China will grow, it already is. As Americans and Detroiters, however, we have to figure out how to make that liability an asset. We can still have our niche. And of course, let’s not forget that the idea of Detroit’s manufacturing base has already revolutionized the world once.

We added another piece to the Speakers Burea this week, an ongoing film series we are creating for the Detroit Creative Corridor Center highlighting the movements coming from Detroit’s creative economy. This week’s featured subject is Lander Coronado-Garcia, a partner in Rippld, a company that is building a internet-based platform to serve as a service exchange platform for creative professionals. They serve as but another example of the kind of innovation that is shifting Detroit’s image around. When design agencies in Paris are finding their talent via Rippld, then it’ll be obvious Detroit is changing the world

Without further ado:

This was kind of mind-boggling to see this photo (credit to Detroitfunk.com) providing a look at Michigan Avenue before the arrival of Slows, Sugar House, Astro Coffee, O’Connor Real Estate, etc.

I mean, this is what we see today:

Pretty crazy.

Check our latest body of work built out for the DC3 to help in recruiting the next round of Creative Ventures to their business acceleration program. See more info on their website: detroitc3.com/creativeventures.

Music by Detroit’s own Phantasmagoria, the song is titled “Bats.”

Shot, edited, written, directed by DL!: Philip Lauri, Steven Oliver and Scott Waraniak.

Issue Media Group, the parent company for media outlets like Model D and Metromode, is initiating the Urban Innovation Exchange (UIX) with funding from the Knight Foundation.

It’s clear that Detroiters are re-imagining themselves and their city in very unique ways. Sure, there are traditional developments that are occuring that are rather easy to value– ie, a neighborhood development project that costs 1M and a return of 2M is expected, with X amount of resources coming on the heels of such development. But such a large part of Detroit’s allure right now is tucked in the efforts that are harder to value. How do you economically value a community garden that gives kids in the neighborhood a new sense of purpose? This gets tougher. And my hope is that the Urban Innovation Exchange will begin to disseminate some of the many factors that are propelling this new form of social capital forward and really making a difference in the identity and movements of the city.

What’s exciting is that I think the idea in and of itself is good, but it seems as though the muscle needed to make this happen is there. There are lots of players moving this effort forward, including DL!. We are very excited about being a part of this exchange in a variety of ways– creating original content and also playing an editorial role. Other media partners include the Detroit Free Press, Huffington Post Detroit, Model D, New Michigan Media, Thrive Detroit and I Am Young Detroit. Data Driven Detroit is playing a part handling some of the analysis and codifying the information in to valuable data sets and models that are scalable.

It’s funny, I just had a visitor over the weekend from out of town, and just like everyone else that visits, he said there is something special going on in the city. Something real. My hope is that efforts like UIX begin to put some sensible data sets and analysis around the realized factors and efforts that are moving the city forward. Instead of all this meta-Detroit talk that can sometimes be more emotional than tangible, I hope we begin to put in to place models that disseminate the nature of our innovation in Detroit. And then, from there, we scale it up and really have a hand in writing the rule book for next generation cities.

You guessed it. Every Monday we are revealing one more of the films we have produced for the DC3′s Speakers Bureau effort. The point of the whole effort is to begin building more informed conversations about the positive forward movements of the city. It’s easy to say that there’s a lot of energy in Detroit and it’s a fun place to live and work, but when we can inject tangible and concrete evidence that proves that sentiment, we are playing a more informed and active role in renewal.

So far with the Speakers Bureau, we’ve looked at proprietors and thought leaders of all shapes and sizes involved in the forward movements of the creative economy in Detroit. The idea is that developing the local economy in this way can provide a viable means to “raise the water level” so to speak– in other words, when the water level goes up, everyone rises and stands to benefit. It’s important to distinguish that the creative sector can’t be the only solution we push, it needs to play a strong role alongside other robust, long-term visions for reviving a wide variety of growth areas that make up our forward movements.

BUT, it’s important to underscore the city’s successes with this so far. In the last year, we’ve seen a decent amount of activity downtown– Skidmore Studio and Goodby Silverstein for example, have erected bricks and mortar presence downtown. In Skidmore’s case, it’s their headquarters. Both are world-class creative services firms leveraging market conditions in Detroit, and in the process are contributing to elevating economic conditions that affect residents in all 138 square miles of the city.

For about 11 other reasons as to why developing the creative economy in Detroit is a good thing, view all videos in the Speakers Bureau here, including this week’s addition: WillDo Design.

I’m currently sitting in Paris at Charles de Gaulle Airport waiting for the airplane back home. So, the screening tour has come to a delightful close.

A few things to note:

1) Yesterday we released the latest video in the Speakers Bureau, a collection of content we are developing for the Detroit Creative Corridor Center. This week we feature Noah Stephens and his photo docucumentary “The People of Detroit.” Without further ado:

2) The rest of the film screening tour finished wonderfully in the Netherlands. We had a great time hanging with the guys from SocialBeta in Heerlen– a town that has also been hard with the loss of their mining industry. More on that later when I have a few moments to distill some of the things we talked about.

3) Perhaps most importantly, I am hoping to announce another local screening of “After the Factory” in Detroit real soon.

Time to get on the plane, can’t wait to be back in Detroit.

In developing the Speakers Bureau content for the Detroit Creative Corridor Center, they asked us to turn the camera on ourselves and make a piece about the work that we do. Kind of a weird task, but we’re pleased with how it turned out. Check it:

See the rest of the videos– there are seven now!– in the Speakers Bureau here.

Happy MLK day!

We are still pumping out content with the DC3 for the Speakers Bureau! As you know, we are releasing a new vignette every Monday morning, and today’s installment comes from Northwest Detroit. Ladies and gentleman, Mr. Chazz Miller and his organization Public Art Workz:

PAWz creates innovative public art projects that inspire and encourage community participation. Chazz lives and works out of the Artist Village, where all the magic happens. It provides base camp for a ton of really amazing projects and also serves as neighborhood gathering spot.

Stay tuned for more from the Speakers Bureau next week.

The two featured cities in our upcoming documentary release, After the Factory, have been prominently placed in two recent “2012″ lists worth noting.

First, Lodz was featured in the New York Times’ “45 Places to go in 2012” feature. It made it in at number 43, with a sub-headline reading “The Hollywood of Poland reclaims its industrial past.” Lodz gets touted as an up-and-comer via its innovative use of old factory shells for new developments– namely a studio being built by famed director David Lynch (who is head over heels for Lodz, by the way), and the Lodz Arts Center, a former textile factory itself that is now an arts incubator. Here’s a secret: The latter and its director are subjects in the film.

Second, Detroit was listed as one of “The Top 10 Emerging Sustainable Cities to Watch in 2012“, which was an interesting choice, especially given absence of the usual suspects: San Fran, Portland, etc. The article’s author Leon Kaye tells the world to nevermind the lack of light rail or our political instability– it’s the people that matter most. And further, it’s the people who are ultimately at the forefront of re-defining the urban and rural landscapes. The piece ends with a basic (and sort of bold with the use of “thrive”) statement: “Watch for urban farming, social enterprise and the creative arts to thrive.” We’ll take it.

So, here’s to the success of our cities, and to the film really. See the trailer if you haven’t already and get your tickets for the premiere at the DIA’s Detroit Film Theatre on Thursday, February 2 at 7pm.