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Austin named Media Arts City, part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network

Sound of Austin Blog

Austin named Media Arts City, part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. The 246 cities which currently make up this network work together towards a common objective: placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level.


By joining the Network, cities commit to sharing their best practices and developing partnerships involving the public and private sectors as well as civil society in order to:

 


strengthen the creation, production, distribution and dissemination of cultural activities, goods and services;

develop hubs of creativity and innovation and broaden opportunities for creators and professionals in the cultural sector;

improve access to and participation in cultural life, in particular for marginalized or vulnerable groups and individuals;

fully integrate culture and creativity into sustainable development plans.

The Network covers seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Arts, Media Arts, Film, Design, Gastronomy, Literature and Music.

 

The Creative Cities Network is a privileged partner of UNESCO, not only as a platform for reflection on the role of creativity as a lever for sustainable development but also as a breeding ground of action and innovation, notably for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 


From www.unesco.org

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Data Smart City

Austin is a Smart City

Sound of Austin Blog

Austin Is A Smart City

A smart city is an urban area that uses different types of electronic Internet of things (IoT) sensors to collect data and then use insights gained from that data to manage assets, resources and services efficiently. This includes data collected from citizens, devices, and assets that is processed and analyzed to monitor and manage traffic and transportation systems, power plants, utilities, water supply networks, waste management, crime detection, information systems, schools, libraries, hospitals, and other community services. 
The smart city concept integrates information and communication technology (ICT), and various physical devices connected to the IoT network to optimize the efficiency of city operations and services and connect to citizens. Smart city technology allows city officials to interact directly with both community and city infrastructure and to monitor what is happening in the city and how the city is evolving. ICT is used to enhance quality, performance and interactivity of urban services, to reduce costs and resource consumption and to increase contact between citizens and government. Smart city applications are developed to manage urban flows and allow for real-time responses. A smart city may therefore be more prepared to respond to challenges than one with a simple “transactional” relationship with its citizens. Yet, the term itself remains unclear to its specifics and therefore, open to many interpretations.

Original source: wikipedia.org/wiki/smart_city

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Art Frog

ArtFrog Art Academy

Sound of Austin Blog

Art Frog Academy

ArtFrog Art Academy is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting cultural education through arts and crafts centered programs, events, and activities. The Academy is a cost-free learning center that educates children, young and older adults of all abilitites in the areas of fine arts and crafts. We serve rural central Texas from the heard of Burnet County.
Heike Jost is owner and co-founder of ArtFrog Academy and has been serving central Texas for over 10 years as an art educator and community organizer. She holds a master’s degree in Fine Art / Public art from the esteemed Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany. 
She has been teaching elementary art teachers, emerging artists and hobbyists for over 20 years. Her ceramic artwork has been acquired by collections in Germany, Japan, Russia and the United States.

Original source: artfrog.com

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