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