Update and thoughts about the project

Some announcements:
There is now a page for collecting information about
"building the carfree city" at carfreeuniverse.org

http://www.carfreeuniverse.org/s/building%20the%20carfree%20city

To add something to that page, create an account and then
make sure "building the carfree city" is selected in the
subject list for any content you create.

of course, using this yahoo group's features is another
option.

I was talking with Gus about applying to the Tides
Foundation for non-profit status support, and began to look
into that application. They wish for us to have a reasonably
solid plan about where our funding would come from.

I thought through and wrote up my questions about the
current plan for the US Carfree city.

http://www.carfreeuniverse.org/Members/colin/cfc0001/

(I've also pasted the text below)

I point out areas where people can help out if they wish.

We also have 20 or so people who have filled out
http://carfreecity.us/support.html

(if you haven't filled out that form, please do!)

Gus, David, and others:

We should also probably send out an update to those who have
already filled out the support form, and who are not on this
list.

I expect things will pretty much be at a standstill until
David gets out of the forest (although, maybe Gus'
application to Earth Island Institute could be accepted),
and all the rest of us finish with our vacations. But in the
document below I point out areas where someone with internet
access can do research and help out.

I'm beginning a bike trip tomorrow, checking out
ecovillages, and may not ever be spending much time with
computers again (or is that just wishful thinking?)
except to help out with making the carfreecity of course!

Colin
http://carfreeuniverse.org

Title: CFC status update & things to do
Subject: building the carfree city
Description: An update on the current status of the US
Carfree City (CFC) project. A possible plan for the future.
Suggestions of areas where individuals can help.

Contents:

    "Review of strategy":#1

    "Nonprofit status":#2

    "Grants":#3

Intro

    Here are my thoughts about where things are right now,
and some areas where I think we can use help. I also
highlight issues that may need addressing.

    David Ceaser and Gus Yates are the main guys behind the
project to this point, so David or Gus, please correct
things if my suggestions are contrary to your plans.

A review of "the general strategy for the
project":http://carfreecity.us/goals.html : <a name="1"></a>

    The first goals:

    o To demonstrate to lending institutions and
decision-makers that there is a large number of people
actively interested in creating and living in a carfree city

    o To provide a mechanism for those people to have input
to the location and design of the carfree city

    Can be addressed through the web site and advertising
and are the purposes of a new form Gus & I hope to have
ready in a week or so. "Preview the
form":http://carfreecity.us/cfc/survey.html

    **Concern:** What kind of traffic can our current
web-serving arrangement handle and will it be sufficient?

    **Question:** How do we plan to advertise?

    Goal #2 is something that is supposed to be a basic part
of current urban planning practice, and there are people who
research and use "participatory planning processes" that we
could learn from or who could help us.

    **To do:** Compile list of participatory resources.
Contact students / researchers / professionals in this area
about our project. Secondary in importance to getting a
number of registered prospective CFC residents?

    Goal 3:

    o To develop methods for overcoming logistical,
regulatory, legal, financial and cultural obstacles to
carfree development in the United States

    Will require people of influence in the planning / urban
development community and other spheres (political,
financial, what else?). It is not to soon to begin making
connections in this area. As the project grows, these
connections will be easier to make.

    **Question:** is the scope of the project too narrow
(simple car-free)? I don't think so, but it may be
interesting to see how some PR / planning / political types
frame it.[1]


    **To do:** Start advertising this project in planning
venues. Develop a list of email lists to post on and
organizations to contact (Smart Growth, New Urbanism, what
else?). It seems we could do the same for political and
religious and other areas (this project has broad appeal).

    **Question:** How many planners or students in planning
do we have on the list? Would everyone on the list fill out
the "support survey":http://carfreecity.us/support.html if
they have not yet done so? Should public introductions be
made? I recommend using carfreeuniverse.org. It is easy:
join, login, and add the subject "building the carfree city"
(use the ctrl key) to the subject list in the "introduction"
document.

    **Question:** How to organize our efforts and respect
people's time? Should we make separate email lists for
certain topic areas: web site admin, participatory planning,
advertising, advisory board, non-profit status? That way
people who are only interested in one area won't get
bombarded with unnecessary email.


Non-profit status: <a name="2"></a>

    David & Gus have begun the process of seeking non-profit
status with "Earth Island
Institute":http://www.earthisland.org . Gus has suggested I
look into applying with the "Tides
Center":http://www.tidescenter.org/ .

    **Question:** Do any of you have experience with
non-profit status? Do you have suggestions of other umbrella
groups to apply for sponsorship with?

    **Question:** Is handling the 501c3 status ourselves
definitely something we want to avoid doing for now? Another
group I'm aware of ( "yoism":http://yoism.org ) is about to
complete their application, and suggest the IRS instructions
are understandable and reasonable.

    **To do:** Solicit people to be on an advisory board.
People in the carfree movement in the US? "Jan
Lundberg":http://culturechange.org , "George
Haikalis":http://auto-free.org . Planners? Others?

Grants: <a name="3"></a>

    The Tides Center application looks for whether the
organization has any current funding prospects (they help
manage the funding/accounting/auditing).

    **To do:** Seek out grants that we can apply for.
Maintain a list of organizations that we could apply to for
funding. Start applying. This, along with spreading the word
and developing a group of individuals committed to
furthering this project are probably pre or co requisites to
being accepted by an umbrella organization.

    **Question:** We need a plan of what to do with any
money we bring in. What suggestions do you have?

        o Web site hosting

        o Advertising

        o Labor



Conclusion

    That's all I have. I'm interested in your input.

    I'll be working on these questions and gathering
information and putting it on carfreeuniverse.org with a
subject of "building the carfree city" I encourage you to do
the same. That way it will be easy to manage and display and
comment on all the links and documents related to this
project.


    .. [1] "Univercity's vision
statement":http://www.univercity.ca/ : "Our goal is to
create a vibrant, self-sustaining community known for its
well planned neighbourhoods, its strong links to the
university and its deep respect for the natural heritage of
Burnaby Mountain." is one example. There are whole books
written on creating vision statements ("Dee
Hock":http://chaordic.org/ and "David
Cooperider":http://appreciativeinquiry.cwru.edu/ come to
mind).




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