The GNS will be a unique opportunity for eco active neighborhood leaders to meet, greet and compare notes. The Summit will include site tours to see impressive examples of transformed suburban properties that feature grass to garden, edible landscaping, water catchment, solar design, reclaiming automobile space and green building. Tours will also visit public locations where city programs have empowered citizen initiatives leading to safer, healthier and more resilient communities. We will also visit two locations that have many characteristics of Block Planning.
We want people to say “Wow! We have the tools to do that here! Let’s get started!”
Imagine a new concept called “green preparedness.” Thats producing more food, water, energy and social cohesion at home and throughout the communty. Then imagine if NAs, Neighborhood Watch, CERT, emergency preparedness programs, Mapping your Neighborhood and other community players came together to promote and teach those ideas in a syncronized way. The result would be a whole new “green” approach to benefit public safety, public health and more resilient communities.
The potentials are enormous for greening our homes, cities and the entire region. There are more assets and allies for greening our communities, already in place, than most people are aware of. Neighborhood associations are perfectly placed to take the lead.
I was on the board of my NA for ten years and I know there is a huge amount of potential to attract more people into “civic culture” when NAs expand their agendas into the realms of local food, water catchment, solar energy, front yard gardens and green preparedness. Turning these ideas into reality would also create many many new jobs in a “repair” economy.
An important outcome of the Summit can be the beginnings of a Northwest “green neighborhood network” that can facilitate the sharing of “how to experience.”
The green neighborhood network can also help set up additional occasions such as conference calls, skype or google hangouts, and in person meetings. Perhaps another Summit could be hosted by a city or ambitious Neighborhood Association. Please contact me for more info. I can help.
The Summit is a companion to the Northwest Permaculture Convergence. The Convergence alternates each year between Oregon and Washington. This is the first time a Convergence has been hosted in a suburban neighborhood. The Convergence features panels, presentations, plenary sessions and a free to the public educational Expo.
Permaculture is a design system for taking care of human needs in ways that are friendly to people and planet. Permaculture principles can be applied at any scale from home to neighborhood and region. Permaculture can be applied to any topic of interest including food production, economics, education, social cohesion and more.
Please fill out the survey so you can help move these ideas forward, Thanks!
Please have a look at the rest of the Convergence website.
Please check out the Participate page and the Stories page. These are specific to the Green Neighborhood Summit.
Here is more information about Block Planning