The Permablitz: Transforming Urban Homesteads in a Single Day
During a Permablitz, an army of volunteers, friends, and neighbors descend on a home and transform the yard (back, front, or both) into a food-growing wonderland.
De Chantal Hillis
Food Rescue Program Spreads in Colorado
It’s a shocking fact that 40% of all food produced in the US goes to waste at some point in production.
The Coming Financial Enclosure of the Commons
Financial speculation in food commodities has become one of the main drivers of food price volatility…the disruptive influence of financial speculation on food markets is only a preview of future crises…
While the impending new wave of financialization is a serious threat, it also opens new opportunities to bridge civil society struggles…
Cities in Common: Urban Uprising in Turkey
The first week of massive protests that are shaking Turkey to its core is coming to an end, but the protests are anything but ending.
Mobile Bike Repair Gets Michigan Rolling on Two Wheels
Michigan may be known as the home of the Motor City, but there are more than a few folks here who enjoy traveling by bicycle.
Foodlab Detroit Fosters New Business Paradigm, Jobs
As Detroit recovers from staggering unemployment due to the mass exodus of the auto industry, small business creation is now being touted by many locals as a better solution for resiliency, higher wages and employment stability than big business recruitment. But starting a new business from a dream with little business experience can be daunting, especially without the capital to carry you through early mistakes.
Print your own money
The economy is big news, and a big worry. But there are as many economies as we need. There are global, national, regional, and neighborhood economies. There are economies for greed, destruction, and exploitation, as well as for generosity, creativity, and love. And there are as many types of money as we need to operate these economies.
Transforming Neighborhoods Through Guerrilla Gardening
Imagine what your community would look like if the vacant lots, patches of half-dead, boring old lawn, and sidewalk beds were thriving, beautiful gardens filled with veggies, flowers and herbs. Doesn’t that sound nice? Want to get involved with making it happen? Welcome to the world of guerrilla gardening. The practice of planting on land that does not legally belong to you, guerrilla gardening is, on the one hand, not as rebellious as its name suggests. We’re talking about introducing seeds and plants to neglected land; a pretty harmless act. On the other hand, however, a guerrilla garden can radically transform a junky lot full of trash into the showpiece of a neighborhood. It can provide food, create beauty where there was none, draw attention to areas that need cleanup and bring a community closer together. In times of isolation and concrete over-growth, this really is an act of revolution. Not bad for a few little plants, eh?
Turkey Puts DIY Twist on Clothing Swap
Giysi Takası, which means clothing swap in Turkish, celebrated its 1st anniversary with a day-long swap, skillshares, and performances on Saturday, April 6th at Mixer Art Gallery in Tophane, Istanbul. The swap was referred to as a maker’s party, because 400 young adults not only enjoyed the event’s offerings but also actively participated in its creation, along with the 13 volunteer staff. Shareable helped support this event through its seed grant contest this year.
Practicing Ecology: Julie Richardson on the Transition to a New Economy
If you follow the River Dart from where it meets the sea in Dartmouth (a small harbor town in Southwest England) to its many sources high up on Dartmoor (one of England’s largest national parks) you would travel a landscape that is both timeless and ever-changing. Standing atop one of Dartmoor’s large outcroppings of granite, you can actually begin to see the planet’s carbon cycle at work.
Innovations in Governance: An Interview with Gianni Dominici
For over two decades, Rome’s FORUM PA has been experimenting with novel forms of engagement in Italy and beyond. Through its annual Expo, the organization encourages public administrators and citizens alike to discover what community empowerment, the Web 2.0 and sharing have to do with social innovation.
Start Your Own Restaurant on May 18
The underground gourmet is an old tradition. From lemonade stands to supper clubs and modern blind pigs, people love to play restaurant. Now a new tradition, started in 2011 in Helsinki, is bringing together hundreds of make-believe restaurateurs into a worldwide celebration of this alternative economy: Restaurant Day, “a worldwide food carnival when anyone can open a restaurant.”
