ClankWorks

Ben and Drew combined a love of design and bicycling while at Carnegie Mellon University and opened ClankWorks after graduating. Their shop is in the heart of Steel City and well integrated into…
View MemberFor the past century and a half, the United States has been a country that makes things. Through the 19th century, we transitioned from an agrarian economy to an industrial one. It began with cotton textiles and wooden products, and with emerging technologies grew into an economy of railroads, steel, automobiles, and heavy machinery. The Great Depression was a blow to manufacturing and the economy as a whole, but during the World Wars, the economy shifted from peacetime to wartime production and back again. We’ve made everything from locomotives to airplanes, food products to precision-machined components, microprocessors to farm equipment. Our cities were the centers of manufacturing through most of this time, and they are planned and built for manufacturing. Manufacturers chose to locate in cities because they had access to a large and able workforce, a huge market of potential customers, and various modes of transportation for their goods. Manufacturers in cities benefit from the proximity to other firms and build meaningful relationships with local partners.
For the past few decades, manufacturing employment in the United States has been declining, but manufacturing remains a central part of the economy. Many people talk about the damage done by offshoring, but America has never stopped making things. The Urban Made Initiative exists to bring attention to the things we make, and encourage this vital economic activity to happen in our cities.
Unfortunately, manufacturing is not often enough seen as an urban activity. Today, a great deal of industries have adopted the model of suburban sprawl and moved to single story, clear span warehouses with thirty foot ceilings while former industrial buildings and brownfields in urban areas remain underutilized. With the desire to “go green,” it is a much more environmentally sound option to repurpose these brownfield sites rather than continuing to devour open space. Further, air pollution and other negative consequences of our car culture can be mitigated by reducing the need for lengthy worker commutes.
However, some manufacturers still call cities home. Artisanal food businesses, computer component manufacturers, and furniture and cabinet makers are just a few examples of the many kinds of urban manufacturers. A recent study by the Brookings Institute and Pratt Center for Community Development identified the importance of these manufacturers to our economy.
These urban manufacturers can provide a model for new manufacturers. We hope that business firms will give serious consideration to the benefits of an urban location when selecting a site for their manufacturing operation. Urban manufacturing creates a win-win situation in which inner city neighborhoods receive an economic boost and manufacturing companies have the opportunity to be more sustainable, access an underutilized workforce, and tap into valuable markets for their products.
In business, location is key. It’s not just about the easy access for customers, partners, or suppliers; being an urban manufacturer means having a built in workforce. Many residents of urban areas don’t drive or prefer not to, so they are eager to find good jobs within walking distance or close to public transportation.
There is also a demand for urban made products. Concerns over social justice and product quality have caused a surge in the public’s desire to buy locally produced goods. With the Urban Made logo, manufacturers can show their pride in their community and tap into this market.
The future of manufacturing in America is bright. In the wake of the Great Recession, there is great potential to return to prosperity as a country that makes things. Though there are challenges to bringing manufacturing back in America, sound public policy and pioneering businesses are leading the way. People are seeking a better way of life, and this often means walkable and livable neighborhoods where they have easy access to shopping, entertainment, recreation, and jobs. This type of environment can be found in cities, and urban manufacturers are a major way to provide jobs in such places. With a strong urban manufacturing economy, Americans can find homes in more livable neighborhoods and commute less. Urban manufacturers will reduce costs by locating near their suppliers, customers, and workers, the negative environmental impacts of industry will be lessened, and inner city neighborhoods will reap the benefits of economic development. Urban manufacturing is a path to healthier, happier neighborhoods and a strong and prosperous economy.
Ben and Drew combined a love of design and bicycling while at Carnegie Mellon University and opened ClankWorks after graduating. Their shop is in the heart of Steel City and well integrated into…
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Read MoreAre you an urban manufacturer? Do you know a company who makes products in the city? We’re looking for your favorite downtown manufacturer. Please fill out our form to let us know about these companies so that Urban Made can feature them on this website. Thank you!