The Dilemmas of Maker Culture
Thinking through the consequences of the proliferation of powerful tools and technologies
Posts by author
John Tierney
34 posts
How Makerspaces Help Local Economies
New technologies like 3-D printers and laser cutters have boosted entrepreneurial activity in American communities.
Boulder, Colorado: A Special Kind of Community
An exaggerated version of a college town, it's the perfect setting for an unusually participatory conference.
How People in Boulder Build Community out of a Conference
An annual meeting brings speakers from around the world together with students and local residents, in intimate settings.
How to Create a Tech Startup Scene If You’re Not in Silicon Valley
Pittsburgh's success provides important and surprising clues.
How the Arts Drove Pittsburgh’s Revitalization
The role of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, founded by a wealthy band of visionaries 30 years ago, is central—but hard to replicate.
How Political Leadership Makes City Streets Bikeable
Pittsburgh's Mayor Bill Peduto shows what political will and determination can do.
What Millennials Love About Pittsburgh
'Land of Opportunity' has real meaning here.
How Green Riverfronts Transformed Pittsburgh
The City of Bridges revives the rivers that helped make it an economic powerhouse.
The Story of Moop: How an Unlikely Company Came to Be
A Pittsburgh woman managed to build a successful bag company from a failed effort to make a dress.
The iPhone Case That Can Call the Police
A startup in Pittsburgh has designed a smartphone case and app to deter assault and help catch the attackers.
The Company That Turns Plastic Bottles Into Fabric and Jobs
A startup in Pittsburgh shows what a social enterprise is capable of.
The Hard Road to Making Hard Liquor
A look at a nascent distillery in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley
When a Community College Transforms a City
Ohio State University may be the local titan, but Columbus State Community College has also become a formidable presence.
Making Mead in a Space-Age World
A new craft-beverage business in Allentown, Pennsylvania, benefits from its association with an incubator of high-tech businesses.
When ‘Collaboration’ Is More Than a Buzzword
The story of a business partnership that stands to boost the economy of Columbus, Ohio, and the surrounding region