*Australian favela chic. Step one, creepy, long-abandoned buildings; step two, free wifi:
"Renew Newcastle has partnered with local ISP Ipera to introduce a free wireless internet service in and around the Hunter Street Mall. This enables our temporary projects to access internet without having to establish broadband or telephone contracts and it enables visitors to the city the convenience of free internet access."
http://www.renewnewcastle.org/faqs
What is Renew Newcastle?
Renew Newcastle is a not for profit company limited by guarantee that finds short and medium term uses for buildings in Newcastle's CBD that are currently vacant, disused or awaiting redevelopment. (((Note that this NGO does not sell anything or engage in any real-estate speculation; nor does it offer anything remotely like a permanent solution. "Permanent beta.")))
Renew Newcastle finds artists, cultural projects and community groups to use and maintain these buildings until they become commercially viable or are redeveloped. (((Care to guess how long till theoretical "commercial viability" returns?))) Renew Newcastle is not set up to manage long term uses, own properties or permanently develop sites but to generate activity in them until a future long term activity happens. (((There is genius in this; it's just like Twitter pretending to be a business until an actual business model shows up, only, maybe not even. So what?)))
Renew Newcastle solves a very specific problem that has plagued Newcastle for over a decade. While the long term prospects for redevelopment of Newcastle's CBD are good, in the meantime many sites are boarded up, falling apart, vandalised or decaying because they is no short term for use them and no one taking responsibility for them. ((("Gothic." It *looks* like it ought to be a sound structure making commercial sense, but something toxic happened and there are huge irreplaceable pieces missing. You ever read Dickens' GREAT EXPECTATIONS? "We're gonna marry off Miss Havisham just as soon as she gets her looks back!")))
Renew Newcastle cleans up these buildings and gets the city active and used again. (((An active and usable city with no formal economic infrastructure and makeshift property rights is a "favela." On the other hand, if the city favors it, it's got free wifi and it's cram-full of artists and NGOs, wow, how chic! If they knew how to vote, they could appropriate their stuffed-animal deadzone there and own it themselves.)))
What does Renew Newcastle do?
Renew Newcastle brings transitional buildings in Newcastle to life again. Property owners license (for a nominal sum) their buildings to Renew Newcastle while they have no tenants or are awaiting development. ((("Awaiting development" = "squelette")))
Renew Newcastle manages the short term use of the buildings, we pay public liability and other necessary insurances, will take over basic maintenance (a fresh coat of paint, a clean, and fixing up the broken windows) and cover basic insurances while the buildings are in Renew Newcastle’s care. (((It's the real-estate equivalent of a once-thriving city newspaper that has become a local website run by five guys.)))
Renew Newcastle supports the property owner to the maximum extent possible to ensure that their involvement is tax effective and their contribution is seen a positive contribution to the community. Renew Newcastle then finds "custodians" who use the buildings for cultural, creative and community purposes until the owner finds a permanent tenant or a redevelopment is ready to proceed. (((Financier –> owner –> tenant –> "custodian" –> squatter –> vandal —> arsonist, find your place in the modern great chain of being)))
We believe that activity is the single most important factor in turning around vandalism and decay.
Where has Renew Newcastle come from?
Renew Newcastle is an initiative proposed by Marcus Westbury in 2008. (((Born in the New Depression. That's a heartening sign, actually.))) It is backed by supporters from Local, State and Federal Government, The University of Newcastle and the local business community.
Marcus is a cultural project manager, festival director and media maker born in Newcastle and was the founder of the annual This Is Not Art festival which he ran from 1998 until 2002. ...
(((The Upside of Downside! "See what you can achieve on a hard rubbish fitout"!)))
http://www.skynoise.net/2009/07/09/renewing-newcastle/
