Around the world, there is a growing number of government and private initiatives aimed at achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and dedicated to:
- mitigating the negative impacts of globalization;
- saving non-renewable natural resources;
- ensuring responsible production and consumption;
- promoting more sustainable and more effective waste management methods;
- transitioning to a circular economy;
- addressing the problems of hunger and education for the poor
It’s impossible to adequately respond to the challenges we face today without people taking part.They are thethe main force forchange in approaches to global sustainability. At the same time, they are the main resource for that change. The transformation of linear consumption and linear waste management, new models of sharing economy directed at redistributing resources from the rich to the poor and the ever-growing involvement in responsible practices change the social fabric of the post-industrial society and have a significant impact on global security and on addressing climate change.
Today, the world’s population is largely concentrated in cities. The increasing urbanization poses a number of risks related to the challenges mentioned above: rising level of pollution, problems of overpopulation, health management, food supply, equal rights and access to education. We believe that challenges and solutions are of the same nature: post-industrial changes in cities, increasing number of horizontal linkages in local communities due to development of information technology, establishment of creative industries as a new basis of urban economies and ongoing transformation of consumption models and urban leisure activities foster opportunities for involving citizens’ resources in addressing global problems.
That is why we created the +1 City project.
It marks social and environmental services for citizens on a web map and in city space, attracting citizens’ resources to solving problems related to:waste management;collection of goods and products;to development of free educational and entertainment resources for people with low income.
+1 City collects responsible marketing campaigns and activities that allow well-off citizens to consume consciously—taking into account social and environmental impact of certain brands and initiatives that reallocate resources from the rich to the poor and provide the last with access to free goods and services.+1 City promotes “circular” practices: it helps to redistribute food and clothes, household appliances and electronics, to collect valuable waste for reuse or recycling, and much more.
The +1 City map displays events and activities, that allows to gather target audience for them in a short period of time. Any user can provide there a feedback on a service or add a new point to the map. All submitted information is moderated. A wide target audience helps to involve business in loyalty programmes and sustainable marketing campaigns, which increases citizens’ engagement and amount of resources allocated to the needy. It also broadens opportunities for those who want to help—city authorities, citizens, charitable foundations, etc.
The project was launched in Russia. +1 City now covers 55 cities all over the country and represents 7,500 services. It operates in the form of an interactive online map. The next step for the project is launch of a mobile app. +1 City can be scaled up across the world with an unlimited number of sustainable services and users, involved in resource transfers and getting new resource opportunities.
+1 City helps citizens to find answers to the questions:
- Where can I get information about free services?
- How can I learn about sustainable services in my neighbourhood?
- How can local businesses get loyal customers and inform their target audiences about new responsible services?
- How can a responsible brand reach a wider audience and get new opportunities for sustainable development, helping more and more people?
- How can emerging local NPO projects/social enterprises get into the same league as international corporations and offer people their own impact services?
The +1 City app with geolocation will provide every citizen with access to the online map. It will satisfy all requests-whether one wants to get information, to learn something, to help or to receive assistance. Each object displayed on the map is also marked in city space with branded stickers. One can learn about nearby services even without a PC or a smartphone.
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