Neighborhood Circles

Strong relationships are the foundational element for creating neighborhoods that are prepared for crisis, no matter the cause. We envision an ever-expanding network of Neighborhood Circles, where residents build upon shared goals and values, and create micro-communities that help to meet their collective needs.

A possible set of pillars for such a Circle might include -

• Disaster preparedness
• Community building
• Regeneration/Permaculture

Each Neighborhood Circle will differ based on its participants’ personalities and objectives. Possible activities include the following:

• Mapping the neighborhood and making a list of vulnerable residents
• Annual block parties
• Monthly potlucks, BBQs, or happy hours (rotating location among homes)
• Neighborhood work parties (rotating location among homes)
• Crop swaps
• Neighborhood book/tool libraries
• Bulk buying programs
• Neighborhood listservs for communication

Over time, as the Neighborhood Circles nurture relationships and trust, they can serve as a way to implement many of the individual household level tactics on a broader scale (some solutions will feel more accessible with the support of neighbors, and possibly grant funding could be sought) -

• Lawn conversions
• Fruit tree planting
• Mini gardens for low income folks (perhaps supported by neighborhood mentors)
• Educational offerings around food cultivation (neighborhood skill shares)
• Home scale solar (ideally with storage)
• Portable solar generators (shared?)
• Greywater systems
• Tiny homes as ADUs
• Tiny home villages
• Rainwater catchment and storage