COPENHAGEN + PROVIDENCE: BEST PRACTICE MODEL

Municipal ambassadorship

Copenhagen + Providence

COPENHAGEN PROVIDENCEFounded 1137 Founded 1636Populuation: 1.2 million Population: ~180,000 (37 th largest metro (78% Danish; 14.6% Non-Western area in the U.S.; 2nd largest city in New Nations; 7.5% Western Nations) England) 14 colleges/universities 7 colleges/universities34 square miles 20.5 square milesWorld class arts & design communities World class arts & design communitiesWaterfront development project(s) Waterfront development project(s)Active commitment social media/blogging Recognized leader in mentoring young talent -OpenCopenhagen Active preservation movement -Visit Copenhagen IBM Smarter City -Miss Design Says Leading American city for youth arts programs -Copenhagenize One of the oldest engineering programs in US/Brown

-Go Visit DenmarkLeader in sustainability & bicycle transportationIBM Smarter CityInfrastructure movement

Why Copenhagen & Providence?

Distance: 3,705 Miles / 5,963 Kilometers

Providence* I-95 Corridor* 1 hour to Boston* 2 hours to Cape Cod, Berkshires, Portland* 3.5 hours (train/bus)/1 hour (plane) to NYC

Copenhagen* Gateway to Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki

* Denmark is southernmost Scandinavian country* 1 hour to Berlin* 2 hours to Paris/London (plane)

Gateway Communities

“The shortest distance between two people is a smile.”

Victor Borge

SMALLER CITIES UNITE!

• English is spoken by 80% of Danes (primary second language).

• 26 hospitals, 14 universities, 10,000 researchers, 4 science parks and 140 biotechnological companies are located in the part of the Øresund region, named Medicon Valley.

• The transport infrastructure of Copenhagen is among the most efficient and reliable systems in the world.

• British style magazine Wallpaper has named copenhagen one of the coolest capitals in the world & Fast Company recently named it one of the “smartest cities in Europe.”

Copenhagen at a Glance

“Do what Andy Cutler does: let people in your own social networks know how great Providence and Rhode Island is.” (page 46)

Rhode Island Foundation: Make It Happen RI (Progress Report)

Legacy of Civic Engagement

…During the meeting, Secretary Clinton reiterated the United States’ strong commitment to engaging young people worldwide and to using people-to-people diplomacy as a means to create opportunities for greater understanding.

-Secretary Clinton Announces Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as Cultural Ambassador, Excerpt from Press Release, January 18, 2012

Citizen Diplomacy

• First:• Paderborn, Germany & Le Mans, France (836)

• First (Modern Era)• Keighley, West Yorkshire, England & Poix-du-Nord, Nord,

France (1920)

• First (N. America)• Toledo, Ohio & Toledo, Spain (1931)

• First (of its kind)• Rochester, Minnesota & Knebworth, UK (1967)

Sister City (or Town-Twinning) Model

• According to statistics from Sister Cities International, there are 694 different US cities who currently have active Sister City programs – which, in turn, represent 1,992 partnerships around the world.

• Sister Cities International, is a non-profit global citizen network, the organization represents 1,749 international communities in 134 countries.

The One Who Figures Out How to Maximize These Relationships Wins!

•Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic•Riga, Latvia•Phnom Penh, Cambodia•Florence, Italy

Does Anybody Know What Providence’s Sister Cities Are?

A New Type of Ambassadorship

5 Elements of Interaction

PROVIDENCE ASSETS

Arts & Culture

Tape Art

Entrepreneurial Programming

Colleges / Universities

Conferences / Events

Copenhagen Assets

Awards/Achievements

Societal / Policy

Extending Reach: Socialnomics

Creation of New Communications Assets

DR

Building Commercial Ties

THIS IS ABOUT CREATING

A MOVEMENT!There is NO greater power than a community realizing its full potential!

• Economic in nature

• New approaches in addressing community challenges

• Expanded networks

• Experiential learning opportunities for students

• Increasing awareness of our community(ies)-press (traditional + non-traditional)-social media-tourism + travel-collaboration through through sharing (lectures, conferences, mentoring)-create & leverage as many storytelling opportunities as possible

ROC vs. ROI

If a thing’s worth doing at all, it’s worth doing well.

-H.G. Wells, 1915

Full-Time Effort is Necessary!

✔Endorsement from Mayor

✔Secure Seed Capital (public/private investment)

✔Initiate full-time endeavor

-Begin creating online/communication tools

✔Outreach to CPH Mayor Frank Jensen

✔Mission Tour; documenting visit (lay the groundwork for numerous

partnerships + next visit with Mayor)

Next Steps