Why Social Urbanism Matters for Sharing Cities
So often we see cities as a stage upon which we can rehearse ideas of technology, economics, and placemaking, yet we usually forget to consider what I call a social urbanism.
Society
The anarchist’s shoes
What better way to upset the paradigm than to make one’s own shoes? A village cobbler could help turn a community away from exclusive designer brands to unique one-of-kind efforts in a locally made product.
How to bring life to vacant lots
“Any successful community space must be co-developed by the residents as it will be them who voluntarily manage it and make it successful.”
Fascism and the Future, Part One: Up From Newspeak
Over the nearly eight years that I’ve been posting these weekly essays on the shape of the deindustrial future, I’ve found that certain questions come up as reliably as daffodils in April or airport food on a rough flight.
Another village is possible
Do you ever wonder what a town based on the principles of solidarity, cooperation and autonomy might look like? Marinaleda, Spain offers a taste…
On founders and keepers of Occupy Wall Street
How could anyone imagine being in control of all this interwoven resistance?
Radio Ecoshock: Crash on Demand with David Holmgren and Nicole Foss
Do we need to break the system to save the climate? Permaculture co-founder David Holmgren says "yes", in rare radio interview. Then Nicole Foss replies. Plus Alex’s climate music.
Medieval Spanish ghost town now self-sufficient ecovillage
“It’s a utopian fantasy- discover a ghost town and rebuild it in line with your ideals-, but in Spain where there are nearly 3000 abandoned villages (most dating back to the Middle Ages), some big dreamers have spent the past 3 decades doing just that.
How to Kickstart your Local Sharing Movement with a ShareFest
In the spirit of the #SharingSpring, Sharing Cities Network and Get2Gether communities (with the Center For A New American Dream) are hosting local ShareFests in cities around the world. Focused on the transformational experience of sharing, these events will be co-created by sharing organizations and the public.
How our narratives inform our hopes for change
When co-founder of the Permaculture Movement David Holmgren recently suggested it might be better for the world if we were to try to precipitate global economic collapse in order to mitigate runaway climate change, he received a harsh response from Transition Movement founder Rob Hopkins, and somewhat more sympathetic responses from Dmitry Orlov and Nicole Foss. The second article (due out next month) in my series for Shift Magazine will talk more about this, but in the meantime I wanted to recommend to you Agency on Demand, a fascinating take on this debate, written by Eric Lindberg.
Building Thriving, Resilient Communities Guide
More than just inspiring stories, this collection contains tools—practical, tested, hands-on ways you can begin making your community more resilient.
Remembering where we live: Physics vs. biology
Where do we think we live? Where do we actually live? These questions are of the utmost importance if we are to make the right decisions about our life on planet Earth.
