Great notes. And rural centers are already to some extent, but could become even more, "park and rides" for cars/bikes/etc tied to bus stops.
If I'm not in DC protesting coal that day, I'll try to come. Sounds like interesting and important discussions . . . On Feb 19, 2009, at 10:22 AM, Wendy Skinner wrote: > The second informal but substantive "living room conversation" about a > vision for a green (or greener) model for community or neighborhood > centers > is being hosted by Rob Morache, at his home, 527 North Aurora > Street, 2nd > floor, at 6 pm, Monday, March 2. Rob is making vegetarian chili; I'm > bringing corn muffins. Other edibles are welcome. > > We expect the discussion to lead to a more refined definition and > closer > scrutiny of potential benefits. Bring your enthusiasm, desires, and > doubts. > This kind of thing doesn't happen without plenty of drama! > > Anyone who's interested is invited. Spread the word. RSVP to Wendy > [email protected] or 277-7611. > > - - - - - - - - - - - > > Notes from the first conversation follow. Amendments and additions > from > attendees are welcome. > > DRAFT Report: Community Center Conversation, evening of Feb 2, 2009, > at the > home of W. Skinner > > ** Summary: An informal conversation about a potential new approach to > community centers began with a cursory inventory of existing centers > and > their services. It was strongly held that existing centers are of > great > value to the populations they serve. Working from this premise, we > then > explored how community centers might look in a future of less > individual > prosperity, a large aging population sector, and high energy and > transportation costs. The outline of a vision for a sustainability- > oriented, > neighborhood-based, shared-resources community center began to emerge. > > ** Initial Observations > > 1. Community centers in our area range from a) publicly-funded > institutions > with long histories and a panoply of services, e.g. GIAC, Southside; > b) > centers associated with subsidized housing complexes, e.g. > Northside, Titus > Towers; c) facilities in rural towns that serve as gathering places > for a > variety of purposes, e.g. Brooktondale, Ellis Hollow, Varna community > centers; d.) resident-supported shared space, e.g. the common houses > at EVI; > e) volunteer-driven, innovative centers such as the Dryden Cafe, and > f.) de > facto centers such as town halls, fire halls, churches, and schools. > The > centers primarily serve urban neighborhoods; rural towns, villages, > and > population nodes; and intentional communities. The size of the > populations > served ranges from a few dozen households to all residents of the > City of > Ithaca. Support for community centers includes federal and local > government > funding, community grants, use fees, rents, private donations, in-kind > donations, and many volunteer hours. > > 2. Community Centers can be based on common values or shared needs > within a > community at large, or on needs within a residential population node. > Examples of the former model are a "sustainability center" that > could house > or host various like-minded organizations, or a "non-profit center" > that > provides the economy of shared space and equipment. While the first > two > models have great merit, a center that serves residents within an > urban > neighborhood, or town, village, or hamlet, is the model that was > discussed > in further detail. > > 3. Community center services tend to first meet basic needs and > branch out > from there, depending on the location and population served. > Attributes of > existing community centers include: youth activities, services for the > elderly, day care, after-school, food pantries, fairs and markets, > large-scale kitchen, congregate meals, public meeting space, library, > computer lab, gym, pool, exercise room, laundry, cafe, classes, > emergency > communications center and shelter, produce garden, office space, > student > internships and community service opportunities, town hall meetings, > political or social justice advocacy, central location, walkability. > > 4. Building on the foundation of the traditional attributes, the > "new" or > enhanced center might include such things as a shared kitchen for > canning > and preserving foods, shared meals, a system for borrowing yard or > carpentry > tools, a sewing room, energy efficient laundry facilities, a drop- > off for > CSA shares, clothing exchange, a fix-it room, intergenerational > information > exchange, wireless Internet access, small business incubation, bike > share -- > as well as comfortable meeting space for all kinds of purposes. The > center > itself could be highly energy efficient or even be a localized > source of > energy production. Plausible locations for this sort of center include > densely settled, mixed-income neighborhoods or population nodes. > > -- notes by Wendy Skinner > > > _______________________________________________ > For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County > area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ > > RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: > [email protected] > http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins > Questions about the list? ask [email protected] > free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins Questions about the list? ask [email protected] free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
