The growing importance of Design Schools (Read this)

NYC Future: Center for an Urban Future recently published an article analyzing the positive influence of design schools in New York City. Not only are students and teachers bringing fresh inspiration and innovation, but these schools are also helping to jump start the city financially. In addition, most design students claim to have an interest in starting their own shop or firm, which brings clients and business to their home city.

It would be a pity on so many levels if a city worked hard to harvest young creatives, only to lose them to a city like New York or San Francisco (ahem, Atlanta).

What can design schools do to help boost themselves and their city?
Here's the Spark Notes (is Spark Notes even a thing anymore?) version of the article, however, we would definitely recommend reading it in its entirety here

1. Expand and improve opportunities for design students to learn business skills.

2. Connect design and architecture students to small businesses in (their city) that could benefit from better design.

3. Develop programs that capitalize on (their city's) strengths in business consulting, philanthropy, and health care.

4. Link (their city's) new applied sciences campus to design.

5. Develop new design incubators and work share spaces for promising graduates.

6. Develop a high-profile design week, and make the city's design schools a key part of it.

7. Develop innovative interdisciplinary programs.