A Burning Man Guide to City Reinvention

After two decades of pushing the boundaries of what it means to build a community (both physically and spiritually), the annual Burning Man festival has a lot to teach municipalities about providing services and fostering participation.

1 minute read

August 21, 2012, 9:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


At the end of this month, Black Rock City, the annual temporary home to the Burning Man festival will swell from nothing to a population of 60,000 inhabitants. In an era in which, "Many seek to harness the creative energies of citizens to fill the gaps,
asking them to take a more active role in governance, service
provision, and even in creating new services," Black Rock City's successes in fostering participation, sharing and community can be a model for towns around America. 

Jessica Reeder discusses 7 lessons Burning Man can offer your town, along with relevant examples from other communities:

  • First, Adopt the Right Mindset: There are No Spectators
  • Crowdsource The Budget
  • Build Your Own Bank
  • Share Your Profits
  • Hitch, Surf & Crash
  • Plug In to the Resource Grid 
  • Reprogram Your Government

Wednesday, August 15, 2012 in Shareable

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