Themes#
Sixteen dimensions of what a city’s participation infrastructure provides — the analytical framework behind the CommonScore.
Each dimension asks: in this city, does this participation space exist? Is it daily or episodic? Is it at institutional scale or retail-scale proof-of-concept?
The first 15 dimensions come from the Seattle Commons vision — uses proposed for a repurposed convention center. Dimension 16 (Industry Networking) acknowledges what convention centers actually do well. The almanac tests whether these uses already exist in other cities, and if so, where and how.
The 16 Dimensions#
Ordered by default editorial weight:
| # | Dimension | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Food & Independent Operators | 11 | Daily food access — food halls, farmers markets, independent vendors vs. captive catering |
| 2 | Civic & Community | 11 | Meeting rooms, forums, organizing space, community access |
| 3 | Education & Workforce | 9 | Daily learning — classes, bootcamps, GED prep, workforce development |
| 4 | Arts & Studios | 7 | Production space — residencies, working studios, galleries |
| 5 | Music & Performance | 7 | Venues — all-ages, underserved genres, daily programming |
| 6 | Makers & Fabrication | 7 | Workshops — woodworking, ceramics, 3D printing, prototyping |
| 7 | Industry Networking | 7 | Professional conferences, trade shows, peer networking — what convention centers do |
| 8 | Markets & Seasonal | 7 | Weekly/seasonal markets — holiday, plant swaps, vinyl, craft |
| 9 | Kids & Families | 6 | Affordable event space — competitions, recitals, birthday parties |
| 10 | Robotics & Innovation | 6 | Daily research and prototyping — labs, accelerators, testing |
| 11 | Wellness | 5 | Yoga, recovery meetings, mental health offices |
| 12 | Seniors | 4 | Programming for aging residents, adjacency to senior housing |
| 13 | Gaming & Organized Play | 4 | Board game libraries, tournaments, organized play nights |
| 14 | Theater & Film | 4 | Fringe festivals, screening rooms, partnership with local companies |
| 15 | Sports & Fan Culture | 2 | Civic watch parties, fan activation, championship programming |
| 16 | Mega-Events | 3 | Large-scale conventions, expos, trade shows |
City Profiles#
Each city page includes a CommonScore with full 16-dimension scoring tables, evidence, and analysis.