Until cities produce everything they consume.
By 2054 70% of us will live in cities.
This rapid urbanization presents a grand challenge as well a system-changing opportunity.
Fab City Challenge
In 2014, the then mayor of Barcelona challenged cities to produce everything they consume by 2054. Fab City Global Initiative is enabling this shift away from the industrial paradigm of Product-in Trash-out, by enabling the return of manufacture to cities supported by a Data-in Data-out urban model. It comprises a Network of 38 cities, a core Collective and is governed by a foundation. We are working to make locally productive, globally connected cities and citizens.
Values &
Vision
We believe sustainability and livability depend on collective action and co-designed solutions which benefit the planet and the future of humanity. We manifest our values and vision as a community of practice through ten guiding principles, ‘The Fab City Manifesto.
Our Approach
We apply our vision and values in a full stack model. From the local to the global, we work across multiple layers of practice and deployment, scaling the FabLab approach to a city and systems level.
Prototype the city
We engage in action-research directly in the city by prototyping and deploying strategies across localities in our network.
Common knowledge
As a global network, we are connected through the knowledge we share, across common tools and platforms.
Documentation
Findings from prototyping and action-research are documented and shared within the network.
Read the blog or join our social media channels
A global initiative
27.5142°N, 90.4336°E | Joined 2016
Thimphu, Bhutan
Consortium
Ministry of Education | Ministry of Labour and Human Resources | Royal University of Bhutan | Ministry of Agriculture | Fab Lab Bhutan
22.5431°N, 114.0579°E | Joined 2015
Shenzhen, China
Consortium
Shenzhen Open Innovation Lab | Shenzhen Industrial Design Association
42.3154°N, 43.3569°E | Joined 2015
Georgia, Georgia
Government Agency
LEPL. Georgia's Innovation and Technology Agency
25.4809°S, 49.3044°W | Joined 2017
Curitiba, Brasil
Consortium
Agência Curitiba | We Fab | Curitiba City Hall | iCities
48.3904°N, 4.4861°W | Joined 2017
Brest, France
Consortium
Brest Métropol | ADEUPa | UBO Open Factory
48.8566°N, 2.3522°E | Joined 2016
Paris, France
Consortium
Fab City Grand Paris Association | City Council of Paris
33.4489°S, 70.6693°W | Joined 2016
Santiago, Chile
Consortium
Fab Lab Santiago | SE Santiago | Escuela de Diseño UC | Distributed Design Foundation
53.5511° N, 9.9937° E | Joined 2019
Hamburg, Germany
Consortium
The Fab City Hamburg consortium consists of 30+ local labs, organizations and public institutions. For more information please visit:
Fab City Network
Core to the initiative is a network of cities, regions and countries that have pledged to work towards producing everything they consume by 2054. Citizens, FabLabs and City officials collaborate locally to implement new urban models through interventions in governance and policy.
Fab City Collective
Ambassadors of the Fab City vision. Researching, developing and implementing the Fab City values and strategic vision.
Our Roadmap
We’re building our roadmap through action research and experimentation, in collaboration with our growing network of supporters.
2011 Fab7 International Conference
The Fab City project is launched by the Institut d’Arquitectura Avançada de Catalunya, the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms, the Fab Foundation and the Barcelona City Council.
2014 Fab10 International Conference "From Fablabs to Fab Cities"
Barcelona launches officially the FAB City project / Mayor Trias commit to the 40 year challenge / The first public network of Fab Labs in a city is launched
2015 Fab11 International Fab Lab Conference
The Fab City becomes a global initiative / The cities of Boston, Ekurhuleni, Cambridge, Shenzhen, Somerville join / The state of Kerala (India) joins / The country of Georgia joins
2015 Amsterdam Fab City Campus
Europe by People: The Netherlands host the presidency of the European Union / The first Fab City experts summit in Amsterdam / The City of Amsterdam commits to the Fab City global initiative-
2016 Shenzhen: The silicon valley of Hardware
12th International Fab Lab Conference / Cities joining the Fab City global initiative: Detroit, Paris, Santiago de Chile, Bhutan, Occitanie, Sacramento, Toulouse.
2017 Chile. Fab13: Fabricating Society
13th International Fab Lab Conference: Fab13: Fabricating Society / Fab City Campus Santiago de Chile / Fab City Summit Copenhagen
2018 France. Fab14: Fabricating Resilience
14th International Fab Lab Conference: Fab14: Fabricating Resilience / Fab City Campus Parc de La Villete / Fab City Summit Paris
Events
Fab City Roundtable at FabLat Fest 2020
Mexico City - Streamed online
27
- 27
- November
- 2020
Streaming and in-person from Montreal, Canada
13
- 15
- August
- 2021