Mid-Atlantic Transition Neighborhoods
Prequel

 

Take the Pulse of Neighborhood Culture

 

Mid-Atlantic Transition Neighborhoods (MTN) explores effective and enjoyable ways to bring small groups of people together to enhance community resilience, deepen neighborhood culture, and joyously experience an appreciative sense of place.

 

Neighbors who take responsibility for their lives and feel connected to each other have the power to choose which pathway toward resilience is the best for their community. Together residents determine how resilient their neighborhood is now, vision and investigate how resilient it could potentially be, and consider their role in enhancing its resilience. 

 

FIRST STEPS:

 

READ….research, and inform yourself about the Transition environmental movement.

 

TALK ….. with, and ask questions of Transitioners working at local, regional and national levels.
 

CREATE THE “BIG LIST”

Make a list.  Think about people and places you know.  Write it down. Brainstorm with your friends and neighbors...
 

• think of those you know personally or casually, those who are conveners of groups or have many connections, and also of community groups and networks.  

• the types of people you have observed, or know live in your neighborhood:

live-alones, families with babies, children, teens, young adults, middle-agers, elders, various nationalities, cultures, races, heritages,

• neighbors you know personally or casually and their social networks,

• conveners: the trusted people in your neighborhood who seem to know everyone, and have a natural gift for bringing people together, e.g. pastors, restaurant managers (and the “regulars”) librarians, teachers, co-op or building association leaders, block captains,

• active service, recreational, and arts organizations, clubs and associations,

• seniors and faith communities, houses of worship or spiritual practice centers,

• routine gathering places: yoga & martial arts studios, parks, hospitals & healing centers,

• active initiatives with an environmental resiliency mission, e.g. renewable energy, CSA’s farmers markets, food coops, community gardens etc.

 

CONTACT … and invite 3-12 potential participants to have a conversation by phone or  over coffee to begin relationship-building. Explain the Transition movement and Mid-Atlantic Transition Neighborhoods (MTN). Assess their interest and availability for MTN participation.  Refine a list of core neighbor-group invitees.

 

IDENTIFY….. potential meeting place for your first gathering. Consider: spaces that are familiar and easily accessible to neighbors (e.g.: diners or cafes, community centers, libraries, apartments or homes if appropriate).

 

SET A MEETING TIME…and extend an invitation by phone or in person to members of your neighbor-group.  

 

 

Talking points for your phone call or email

 

Put a few of these sample sentences into your own words.   

 

- You're organizing a series of group discussions on how to make your neighborhood more sustainable and more resilient.

- It's an initiative of the Transition movement, an international community organizing response to climate change and other issues.

- The Transition Neighborhoods Field Guide is based on a model that's been successful in hundreds of communities worldwide.

- Neighbors reach out to neighbors, and find out who's interested in making their community more sustainable and resilient.

- It starts with a series of small group meetings in which neighbors go through chapters of the Field Guide. They strengthen their sense of place, build relationships, promote local food, and map their neighborhood's current state of resiliency.

- At each meeting, they'll go through one of the twelve chapters of the TN Field Guide, now being adapted for NYC and other big urban communities.

- The thought provoking Field Guide leads participants on a practical and enlightening neighborhood resilience-building adventure that deepens and celebrates neighborhood culture. 

-  Neighbors will use chapters of the guidebook to map their community, looking at aspects of its operation such as food, energy, water, waste, consumption and transportation. The goal is to proactively redesign urban communities so they're much less reliant on fossil fuels and much more resilient, with an improved quality of life.   

- Would you be interested in coming to an initial meeting? What days of the week and times are best for you? Who else would you suggest I contact?

Convener Preparation - Gathering a Group

 _ _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
 

• Transition Reading & Support System

• Create The BIG List

  • Personal network, neighborhood social infrastructure,conveners, movement toward resilience

    • Outreach

• Organize your first gathering.

 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   
 

CHAPTER 1 - Getting started
 

• Potluck Conversation Starters

• Transition Neighbourhoods Overview

• Group Process Nuts & Bolts

  • Ground Rules, Communications Process, Schedule

• Support system & resources

 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  
 

CHAPTER 2 - Food Awareness & Quality
 

• What IS Quality Food?

• How far does our food travel?

• Map local food growing in and around New York City.

• Buy local. Buy seasonally.

• Try organic.

• Minimize food waste.

• Reduce food packaging.

• Resilient Response Food Stores & Storage.

• Support system & resources.

 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  
 

CHAPTER 3 - Urban Green Acres: Grow Food
 

• Food security & deserts.

• Urban agriculture:  

  • Institutional, community and commercial farms and gardens

• Grow food to feed ourselves.

• Resilient Response Food Preservation Techniques.
   

Support system & resources

NYC Transition Hub   
www.transitionnyc.org transition.nyc.hub@gmail.com
Mid-Atlantic Transition Hub
http://transitionmidatlantic.org transitionmidatlantic.pbs@gmail.com
Transition US http://www.transitionus.org/