save $$$ and CO2, and become stronger.
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Rurality |
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Helping small rural communities self-organize, save $$$ and CO2, and become stronger. | ||||||
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The Evolutionary Road: Rural Carpool has evolved into the Commons! Michael Jensen, Founder February, 2024 We launched Rural Carpool in Fall 2023, and quite quickly (for such a project) got nearly 100 sign-ups! Wow!
I tried varieties of promotions, and standard approaches, with limited success. Then, after many in-depth discussions with many of those enthusiastic sign-up-ers, a picture emerged about community, about potentially traveling with "strangers," and about uncertainty and convenience. After pondering further a lot of things about rural issues, I decided the project needed to evolve, to find its best niche in the rural ecosystem. It needed to grow, but smaller. What emerged was the "Commons Community" -- an online site focused exclusively on a small microregion: a town like Tatamagouche, with its nearby hamlets and crossroads and clusters of homes (see right). Under 3,000 people. We share grocery stores and a farmer market, and a post office and (in our case) a hockey rink and some churches and a stage and pizza and restaurants and a brewery, and lots more. What we no longer share, however, is easily accessed community information. There is no local newspaper, no phone books, no local Yellow pages -- there's hardly even bulletin boards anymore. "Use the Internet," they say, but the Internet leaves out a lot of rural realities. The Commons is designed as a platform to change that, to help members of a small rural community self-organize: to share information in the Classifieds, to promote our local businesses, our community events, garage sales, Saturday tables at the Farmer's Market, school plays, band practice... and freecycle, and share resources, and give away stuff to our neighbors, and plan impromptu Potluck Picnics at a local park. And to plan Carpools for scheduled travel to larger towns. Who knows what community creativity might produce? As of February 2024, three* very different communities are piloting the Commons project in their towns:
Each Commons has its own Manager, its own local Demo, a Member list, a Businesses list, a set of Classified categories, a Calendar that can include Special Events, Performances, local open mics, etc. posted by Members, as well as your personal listing of upcoming Carpool Trips, Classified ads, and the like. The system allows messages between Members, about Classifieds, or Carpool trips, or about anything else. And it's free. Later, we may have sponsors and advertisers. There will never be a charge for Membership. For me (as the founder of this project), the Commons is a way to strengthen my local community (and others like it), by providing tools for self-organizing and engagement, which includes saving CO2 and $$$ dramatically, by Carpooling or Commuting together, or buying locally, or heck, sort-of-renting your neighbor's lawn mower instead of buying a new one. There are lots of opportunities for collective climate care and further efficiencies, at a small town scale. As pilot communities, we have the opportunity to help shape how the Commons infrastructure evolves from here. We hope to have a RiverJohnCommons.com sometime soon, and lots more after that. Please join in, and give us feedback, so we can become the best thing possible! --Michael ------- * Currently -- we hope to start RiverJohnCommons.com and WallagashCommons.com, and possible others, in mid-2024. |
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