Key Takeaways from UMA's 2017 Regional Convening: Somerville

In May 2017, the Urban Manufacturing Alliance hosted its fifth national Gathering in Somerville, Massachusetts—a city with deep roots in urban manufacturing. Over three days, more than 120 makers, community leaders, architects, and policymakers came together to explore how to grow inclusive, place-based manufacturing ecosystems. From youth-led efforts to close the gender gap in maker spaces to regional workshops on equitable land use and workforce development, the Gathering highlighted innovative strategies for making, scaling, and inclusion. The event fostered vibrant discussion, hands-on collaboration, and real-time knowledge exchange among changemakers working to ensure manufacturing benefits all communities.