Neighbors & communities connecting through technology
Tips, Tools, Strategies, and Technology
What a great topic!I've noticed a lot of excitement abouttools for neighborhood organizing lately. In fact my colleaguesfrom the US and Australiaare creating a matrix to helpneighborhoodslearnabout thetechnologies and how they work to find a good fit for their objectives.My new book: Tools, Techniques and Technologies for Community Weaving has a list (that continues to grow daily!) We spent 5 years developing the Good Neighbors resource pooling web-tool http://www.goodneighbors.net
A special thanks goes out to OurBlocks and e-Democracy for generating the initial list of sites. I invite everyonewho developed/developing these incredible neighborhood networking toolsto collaboratewith me on thisproject. Simply email me at cheryl@communityweaving.org
Leo Romero from Our Blocks has the most comprehesive list I've found date: http://ourblocks.net/resources/#ntech
Meet-Up.com is a great platformfor organizingface-to-face gatherings.
This is such an exciting time watching all these new technologies emerge to empower neighbors to self-organize and help one another. They are making us a more resilient society adaptabletochange.
More sites to add to the list:
- Fix My Street http://www.fixmystreet.com/ Pothole in the road? Flytipping or broken street lights? Just type the postcode and FixMyStreet will send your report to the correct council representative. And its all archived online.
- Good Neighbors Network: Web-based toolto inventoryindividual and community assets and make them easily accessible as well as self-organize community improvement activities. Logs volunteer hours and publishes alphabetized resource directories.
- My Society http://www.mysociety.org/ we develop and run most of the UKs best known democracy websites.
- Pledge Bank http://www.pledgebank.com/faq PledgeBank is a site to help people get things done, especially things that require several people.
- Weave the People Everyone wants to feel listened to, valued and part of something bigger than themselves. At Weave The People our goal is to help you create an engaged, collaborative and more productive team. We do this by asking the right questions, making people visible and celebrating the knowledge in the room or team.
- goodWORKSconnect An online community space and virtual resource center connecting the good work that nonprofits do in east central Illinois.
- Livable Streets Community A place to organize projects in your own town and connect and share with others who are doing the same.
- Meet the Neighbors: Groups near you helps people in your neighborhood get to know each other.
- Neighborhood Fruits: Produce Sharing technology
- Neighborhood Empowerment Network: a coalition of residents, community, faith-based, non-profit and private organizations, academic institutions and government agencies. Our goal is to empower neighborhoods to become cleaner, greener, healthier, and more inclusive places to live and work.
- Neighbors for Neighbors A Boston based volunteer run 501c3, in partnership with the City of Boston, created neighborhood-centric community-generated social networks for Boston Neighborhoods.
- http://sharable.net/tag/diy An online magazine about sharing. We have a large collection of stories about how to share. We have over 80 stories on how to share including stories on how to start a free market, how to share time (time banks), how to share houses, and how to share cars
- Street Bank a website that allows you to see all that your neighbours are giving away or lending.
- The Placemaking Movement A network of Placemakers organized by Project for Public Spaces, enabling discussion, ideas and networking. Use this space to meet fellow Placemakers, throw ideas around, talk about your projects.
- The Sharehood All about sharing resources within your neighbourhood, helps people in meet and make friends with people in your local areas.
other valuable links:
http://exchanges.state.gov/citizens/profs/community_solutions.html Community Solutions by the US Dept. of State
https://www.ourcommonplace.com/about Our Common Place started by Pete Davis, Harvard Government Affairs student.
http://nabewise.com/ : Review of neighborhoods around the country.
http://www.neighborsgathering.com/
http://www.helpothers.org/ Kindness is contagious. Welcome to a portal dedicated to small acts of kindness.
http://www.neighborhoodplanning.org/topics-main.htm Neighborhood Planning
http://www.sarvodayausa.org/story/meet-the-neighbors/ Meet the Neighbors
http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/ Rebuilding Place in Urban Space
http://demo.citizen-dan.org/ Citizen Dan: A Community Instance of the Open Sematic Framework
http://www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/community-strategies Technologies for the Neighborhood
http://www.communitymatters.org/about CommunityMatters is a commons of individuals and organizations working to steer change, engage citizens and build strong, vibrant communities from the ground up.
http://www.newcommunityvision.coop/ Planting the Seeds for Cooperative Living
Community Connections GIS based asset mapping and some related processes and metrics.
Communities of Shalom Drew University Shalom Initiative - international network of Asset Based Community Development and community organizing trainers, practitioners, and coaches
Communities First Association National network of Asset Based Community Development practitioners, coaches and consultants affiliated with Christian Community Development Association
It's amazing to watch this list grow.
Let's support one another and collaborate wherever possible.There have been many great technologicalinnovations that have fallen by the wayside. I hope we develop aplace where those struggling can find the support they need to sustain their efforts and "mash-up" technologies.