True collaborative partnerships where skilled, resourced and grounded people work together towards a common goal could be amazing. They could change our neighbourhoods.
Read MoreWhat did you pay for your driveway?
How much is your driveway worth?
What did it cost when you bought it?
How much do you spend to maintain it?
How much more expensive was your renovation bill, because you had to trench up the driveway?
How long did it take to sweep the leaves off last weekend?
How much of your street is there just to get you closer to your driveway, closer to your garage, closer to your home?
But is home really just your house? Or is it also your garden, your property? But is it more than just your property, does is also include your street? Maybe it is wider than the street, it is also the local park, dairy, pub, school and bus stop.
Maybe when you turn into your street, you're home.
Why not put your garage there? Why not put all of your garages there?
Turn your driveway into something useful. Something beautiful. Something fun! Something more in line with what it is worth.
And then maybe do something with your garage.
The Cul-De-Sac designed for people, not cars
Could we turn our streets into people-friendly spaces instead of high-danger areas?
Read MoreGot a granny flat...
Does your house have a mini-house on the back?
Read More17 Alternatives
Lets try and turn high-minded political ideals into something we can do this week with our extra energy.
Read MoreEnergy expenditure and balance
Energy efficiency is so important and often overlooked. But forget about electricity for a second and think about your own personal energy, our collective societal energy.
Read MoreA possible way for the mountain to own the land
Community Land Trusts could be a vehicle to move the idea from abstract concept to legal reality
Read MoreThe thing getting in the way of what you want is actually what you want
A philosophical idea applied to property.
Read MoreRelating to the land-owning mountain
Relationships with landlords are essentially an exchange of value for a place to live. What if your landlord didn’t want money?
Read MoreSensible, proper, smart, or just plain bored
What’s driving your choice of where you live? What’s really driving it?
Read MoreStreet facing, sun facing
Why do we orient our sections away from the sun sometimes?
Read MoreWriting a better specification
If we can't specify perfection, is the perfect specification one that allows for the true complexity of building something?
This could look something like:
- Outlining the values and aspirations of the project that have brought together everyone involved.
- Clear channels for feedback and to develop the 'how' of building, and implementing changes.
- Names roles and strengths of the people involved, and how the relate to each other.
- Opportunities for unexpected input.
- A framework for relating to each other to inspire change and growth as skilled individuals and humans.
Of course, this assumes that there is something aspirational about the project. It assumes that people are open to learning, changing and improving. That people are able to recognise and value diversity of experience and skill.
Writing a better specification for a better project.
Is meeting the specifications enough?
Successful projects do more than meet spec. How could we build-in the unexpected, the unpredictable, the undefinable into our projects to achieve more consistent success?
Read MoreWhen is it enough?
If we care about making the world a little bit better and are contributing financially without a return, we really care about what people get paid. Multi-million dollar salaries for non-profits tends to raise a few eyebrows. Which brings us to the question of how much is enough?
Read MoreThink bigger than an improvement: Dream of an alternative
What can we learn from the fashion industry?
Read More1000 year time horizon
It’s hard to imagine, but can radically affect our decision making.
Read MoreWhat's your time horizon?
What we do today reflects how far forward we look. Should it?
Read MoreBeing both individual and collective
We are individuals. But we are connected. Could we reflect this in our property ownership?
Read MoreWho owns the land?
Instead of being owned by individuals, our land could be owned by the closest, mountain, lake or river.
Read MoreWhere do you go? And why?
Our home might be a sanctuary, but we all need to get out sometimes.
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