Before you can make a community resilient, you have to have a community
Living (or working) on a block or in a neighborhood where anonymity is the rule discourages any sense of ownership, of belonging to something larger than just you.
Act: Inspiration
Retrofitting a Small Town
For the last four years, I have been dreaming of retrofitting a small town…
The Rise of the Sharing Economy in my Community
This emerging collaborative way of living and working is a potential economic regeneration strategy for communities, particularly those in rural areas.
The Dead Tree That’s Bringing Drought To Life
This 38-foot-tall cedar elm, meant to bring attention to the crippling drought that has severely depleted reservoirs, bled dry important fluvial arteries, and killed more trees than there are people in America, bears a solemn burden.
Places in the Making: MIT Report Highlights the ‘Virtuous Cycle of Placemaking’
The paper, Places in the Making, casts aside the idea of the monolithic expert, and argues clearly and cohesively for the importance of Placemaking as a vital part of community-building, rather than a fuzzy “extra.”
Reinventing Square Wheels
The inability of most economic activities to turn a profit in an age of contraction is already an issue at many levels, and one with which contemporary economic thought is almost completely unprepared to deal.
Rethinking Sustainable Development in terms of Commons
Wouldn’t sustainable development initiatives, mechanisms and policies considerably gain in effectiveness if they were planned and assessed in relation to the principles, processes and practices of the commons?
How the Power of Cooperation Transformed a Vacant Lot in South Chicago
“Communication, collaboration, cooperation—those are skills, not just words,” said Salim Al-Nurridinn, founder of the Healthcare Consortium of Illinois, while standing at the gate of the Cooperation Operation (Coop Op).
Millennium Seed Bank’s “Great Seed Swap”
Here at the Millennium Seed Bank’s ‘Great Seed Swap’ at the National Trust’s Wakehurst Place, we hear about the rich diversity of plant varieties that can be grown for food; see keen gardeners and horticulturalists exchange seeds; and learn from the experts about the importance of saving and sowing our own open-pollinated seeds.
Providing an Alternative to Slash and Burn Agriculture
The village of Gaviotas, situated in the llanos region of Colombia, is cited as one of the premier examples of the development and implementation of place-based, appropriate technology.
Creating Local Wealth
A recording of Michael Shuman’s talk to kick of New Economy Week.
14 Reasons to Be Hopeful About the Future of Food
In sub-Saharan Africa, young people are going to school to learn about sustainable farming. In Brazil, smallholder farmers are growing fresh produce for public school lunches. A city in Sweden is working to make all of its food organic. And in the United States and Australia, farmers markets have never been more popular.
