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creative communities signals of possible futures Ezio Manzini INDACO, Politecnico di Milano. war. poverty. fear. the new, dramatic world-wide context ( ..in which the transition towards sustainability has to take place ). individualistic choices. everyday life marketisation.
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creative communities signals of possible futuresEzio Manzini INDACO, Politecnico di Milano
the new, dramatic world-wide context (..in which the transition towards sustainability has to take place )
the social, cultural and economic main stream (…that the transition towards sustainability has to face )
but if you look carefully …beyond the main-streamsbeyond the average behaviorsbeyond the conventional thinking
…innovative housing> co-housing initiatives> communal use of spaces and appliances> new kinds of residential services (laundry-cafés; local tele-cottages; etc.)
…cities vitalization> neighborhood social centers> local-global cultural events> improved local shops > multi-services cetnres> localized administrative services
… caring for kids and elderly> micro-crèches > “living together” (elderly and students)> enabling solutions for elderly people
…facilitated barters and exchanges > LETS (Local Economy Trade Systems)> innovative second-hand shops
…effective mobility > car sharing and car pooling> bikes associations> foot-bus and bike-bus initiatives (to bring children to school)
…advanced natural food systems> organic food chains> urban vegetal gardens> Slow food associations
…localized work opportunities> tele-offices> new craftsmanship workshops > maintenance / up-grading workshops> point-of-sale production systems
…direct links between the city and the country side > farmers markets (in the cities)> vegetal subscriptions> “adopt a sheep” (or a chicken or a tree) initiatives
…fair relationships between the North and the South of the world > Fair trade organizations> Fair tourism organizations
…new ideas of well-being and new economic and organizational models are appearing
beyond the polarization … • producers / consumers
beyond the polarization … • producers / consumers • market / non-market
beyond the polarization … • producers / consumers • market / non-market • local / global
they are forms of auto-organization • (individuals and communities organize themselves to solve a problem or to open a new possibility)
they practicethe solutions they want • (individuals and communities that, facing a problem they do not ask for solutions but they find the way put the solution in practice by themselves)
they ask for diffuse initiative and bottom-up entrepreneurship • (individuals and communities shift form the dominant passive attitude to a highly active and proactive one)
we will call them: creative communities. • (activeminorities that conceive and manage promising cases of social innovation)
… cases like these may be seen as marginal • ( and therefore the may be marginalized )
these cases propose solutions that may help • to solve big and urgent problems…
they regenerate the social fabric • (…and propose solutions tothe crisis of the welfare state)
… and they present a lower ecological foot-print • ( …promoting organic food, alternative mobility, renewable energies, better use of the residential services, etc.)
these cases rise newdemands forproducts • and services…
they ask for enabling solutions to make them • more accessible.
they ask for scenarios and proposals to facilitate their diffusion.
they give new directions • to the technical innovation • ( …information and communication technologies as enabling solutions and as community building tools)
… and they open new market opportunities • ( …for the companies that will be able to recognize the new, emerging demands)