urbanrethink

As much as we are attracted to the new, we simultaneously cling to the familiar. This tension means that some redesigns — particularly in the realm of graphic design — can inspire surprisingly visceral public backlash. Earlier this year, for instance, Instagram updated its logo and app icon, simplifying the design and making it more colorful.

Yeah, that place was awesome. Sigh.

If you missed it somehow, there used to be a multi-use art/music/discussion/co-working/tech/café space located on Central Boulevard (between what's now Soco and Baoery). It closed in 2013, after two or three years of readings, film screenings, music, broomstick pony races, panels, pop-up dinners and whatever else its revolving band of creative staffers (including Darren McDaniel, Pat Greene, Brendan O'Connor, Shaina Anderson, Kim Britt, Dina Mack and many more we are no doubt forgetting) could pull off.

Yeah, that place was awesome. Sigh.

If you missed it somehow, there used to be a multi-use art/music/discussion/co-working/tech/café space located on Central Boulevard (between what's now Soco and Baoery). It closed in 2013, after two or three years of readings, film screenings, music, broomstick pony races, panels, pop-up dinners and whatever else its revolving band of creative staffers (including Darren McDaniel, Pat Greene, Brendan O'Connor, Shaina Anderson, Kim Britt, Dina Mack and many more we are no doubt forgetting) could pull off.

Instead of thinking and acting small, companies started acting big and big things happened. There were some strong players in the mix – like EPB, who made us "Gig City". Several strong companies, such as Lamp Post Group, The Company Lab and other non-profits, were working together to redefine our future. Mayor Berke launched Chattanooga Forward. From that, a wellspring of ideas flowed and even more organizations sprouted or reimagined themselves to create a vibrant network. So, to me, the biggest change has been in attitude and spirit – we were no longer "run-down."

In 2005, Chattanooga opened the Tennessee Aquarium right in the heart of downtown. Chattanooga is on the Tennessee River and the city started working hard to improve the waterfront. We went back to visit and found a couple of new restaurants open. We kept on going back to Chattanooga over the next few years, and every year was better. The city was cleaner, new hotels and attractions arrived, and we started hearing about new tech companies in the city. Then in 2010, Chattanooga got the fastest internet in the country with 1 Gig service available to everyone.

co-working spaces in Orlando this week officially became a trend. Dennis Pape, the founder of Florida Venture Sourcing and VenturePitch Orlando on May 28 announced his latest venture: Catalyst, a 7,000-square-foot collaborative shared workspace for entrepreneurs, startups and freelancers, which is opening late this summer in downtown Orlando in the Yowell-Duckworth Building at 1 S. Orange Ave. And consider that Florida Hospital is planning a 15,000- to 30,00-square-foot co-working space and incubator in Health Village.

Catalyst — a 7,000-square-foot collaborative shared workspace for entrepreneurs, startups and freelancers — is opening late this summer in downtown Orlando in the Yowell-Duckworth Building at 1 S. Orange Ave. Catalyst will offer a combination of open workspace with shared and dedicated desks, private office space, conference rooms with video-conferencing capability, a craft coffee bar and lounge, as well as high-speed Internet connectivity. Those interested in working in a shared workspace environment will have access to the site for a monthly membership basis with no long-term contract.

Direct sales aren't just a recipe for small press success; they're a recipe for survival, said Ryan Rivas, Burrow's publisher. "The main challenge in reaching the retail market is the terms of sale with bookstores and online stores, which, in the era of Amazon, usually entail taking 55 percent off the retail price," said Rivas. "Add even a reasonable distribution fee and the [profit] margin is best viewed through a microscope." In the small-press world, authors take the reins of marketing, a process that relies heavily on local connections.

On any given day, 20mission looks and feels kind of like a dormitory — under minor construction, for now. Energetic tenants scurry from unit to unit, shuffling past screwdrivers and sanders on the unfinished hardwood floors. The smell of new wood, paint and primer fills the hallways. There are 40 residents and each gets his or her own standard-size bedroom for $1,400 per month. Residents range between their mid 20s and mid 40s. They share five bathrooms, four showers, a washer and dryer and a massive office space downstairs. Rent pricing is that of a typical studio in San Francisco.

On any given day, 20mission looks and feels kind of like a dormitory — under minor construction, for now. Energetic tenants scurry from unit to unit, shuffling past screwdrivers and sanders on the unfinished hardwood floors. The smell of new wood, paint and primer fills the hallways. There are 40 residents and each gets his or her own standard-size bedroom for $1,400 per month. Residents range between their mid 20s and mid 40s. They share five bathrooms, four showers, a washer and dryer and a massive office space downstairs. Rent pricing is that of a typical studio in San Francisco.