O retorno das fábricas

Ontem no NYT um artigo, "Return of Factories May Revive Downtowns", na linha do que tenho escrito aqui no blogue com os marcadores: Makers e Mongo.

O artigo explora como cidades e comunidades nos EUA estão a reformular as regras de urbanismo e a promover o renascimento de centros urbanos através do apoio a pequenos fabricantes locais, os makers. Esta tendência visa recuperar espaços urbanos abandonados, dinamizar economias locais e promover o comércio de proximidade, através da flexibilização do uso de solo para permitir oficinas, pequenas unidades de produção e espaços colaborativos.

"Cities and small towns have tried to revitalize their downtowns by rolling back certain rules and requirements to help promote new developments and bring life to empty streets.

Now, they're returning to an earlier era, when craftspeople such as food makers, woodworkers and apparel designers were integral parts of neighborhood life, and economic activity revolved around them.

...

Over the past decade, hundreds of U.S. cities and small towns have revised their land-use codes to allow small-scale producers - from coffee roasters to makers of jewelry and furniture - in downtowns and neighborhoods. Many small producers started to disappear from those areas around the turn of the 20th century with the advent of mass production; as large-scale factories generated enormous waste and pollution, cities restricted them near residences. Now, most of the businesses allowed to operate under the new rules employ between one and 30 people.

Much of the reason for the recent efforts is that local officials see an opportunity in the maker economy, which grew during the pandemic,

...

The maker economy "can sound boutique, niche," said Will Holman, executive director at Open Works. But in Baltimore, "a postindustrial city with grim problems," there is a laser focus on economic development and community resilience, he said.

"People don't realize how quickly makers could start to replace manufacturing for a wide array of consumer goods — to relocalize production not in a nationalistic pro-Trump way but in a very real way," Mr. Holman added."

 Claro que tentar copiar estes movimentos genuínos com dinheiro fácil de subsídios europeus, como relata Carlos Albuquerque no JdN de ontem só dará asneira.