convergence 7- feedback

dublin | environment | news report

Saturday April 30, 2005 15:41

by dunk

fuspey at yahoo dot co dot uk

building healthy communities, inspiring culture, redefining progress

4 day festival in dublins city cetre:
sustainability, food fair, exhibitions, films, conferences, car free streets..........

convergence 7- building healthy communities

-The Natural Step for Communities
-Re-Thinking The City
-Dublin Eco City
-Greenway for Dublin City

the festival kicked off on wed 20th with Keynote Address from Torbjorn Lahti -
"The Natural Step for Communities ", the Swedish planner who has set up a global eco-municipality network. He started out with the idea of "changing the world". "its simple he says, everyone wants to improve the enviromnment, it is better for business", he outlined the importance of consensus decision making at the grassroots community level as one of the most important factors in making this process work.
his 5 steps to change (roughly, sorry ) are
1- finding fire souls
2-educate, raise awareness
3- effect endorsement
4- involving the implementers
5- applying the principles
http://www.esam.se/eng/

Fire Souls are those fellow humans who are burning with a similar idea they want to make happen, this he stated was by far the most important thing to do.
involving the implementars involves getting out to as many people as possible who might be able to affect change, the example he gave was of a man who had made his cash from selling cars, who became guilty due to eco impact of his business, who then got very eco and has started introducing grassroofs. he thought "who reaches people, Mc donalds do, ill get them to make a greenroof" he dident agree with their methods but he knew that through them he would get message to wider audience, Lahti used this as an example of being inventive and resourseful to reach out.

the main conference was "Re-Thinking The
City"
http://sustainable.ie/convergence/7/rethink.htm
in which the Objectives were:
-Facilitate the emergence of an integral and participative approach toward building "healthy" community
-Promote frameworks to replace the ones that are taking us away from long-term social, economic, and environmental health
-Secure gesture of intent from stakeholders

they used the 'Café' Format, whereby 8 tables were set up with 8 people around each table discussing ideas, sharing visions etc...

a lady spoke on behalf of the fantastic zero emissions, sustainable housing block outside london
http://www.bedzed.org.uk/

Dick Gleeson, head planner, dublin city council outlined how the city was changing.
temple bar, IFSC, Heuston, Poolbeg, area @ malahide.
"Plans for Dublin's urban spaces get radical"
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/property/2004/0212/2294219331RPARCH.html

it was quite pricey, but an excellent opportunity to make contacts, publicise ideas, see how other areas that affect change are working.
sense of hopelessness was talked about, so to was sense of hope by just doing things and connecting with other networks.
view from most of floor was that there was a greatere need for bottom up, grassroots and community decision making and action. communities were frustrated with governments lack of ability to affect change.
the city should develop a VISION, and try to take on one project to demonstrate that vision.

at the end the floor was opened for open discussion, ideas etc. i proposed the following idea:
Dublin Eco City
dublin should attempt to become an eco city( whatever that means), an immediate project which could or should happen to demonstrate city move to develop along healthy, sustainable, people and community based lines was to develop a greenway for the city. this would be an 18 km orbital ecological corridor for the city that would link up the 2 canals, the phoenix park (europes largest city park), the botanic gardens and dublins remaining rivers; the tolka, the camack, the dodder and the liffey.
i finished by informing the group that we had created a new community garden for the city and that anyone was welcome to join us after to grow some food.

ECG- Eco City Group
http://www.ecg.rs.sr/easa.html
eco city banja luka project (bosnia)
http://easa.antville.org/stories/348675/

what are greenways?
http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/walkways/project7.html

greening the city- new community garden for dublin
http://easa.antville.org/stories/1099039/