We are fortunate that efforts towards relocalization and resilience-building have been going on locally for years. In addition, we have much to learn from efforts in other cities around the world. This page is intended to highlight just a few of these, and to inspire the Transition work still to come. Local examples are in red.
Want to get moving? Contact us with your ideas, and we will try to link you up with others moving in the same direction.
Food:
Buy Fresh, Buy Local Guide. The Community Alliance with Family Farmers puts out guidebooks, including one for the Central Coast, of local farmers and where to get locally produced food.
The Homeless Garden Project. This Santa Cruz tradition brings together people from throughout the community in a beautiful organic garden, to practice and teach principles of economic and ecological sustainability through classes and hands-on experience. The Project provides homeless men and women job training and transitional employment.
Transportation:
The Hub for Sustainable Transportation, at 703 Pacific Ave., includes the DIY bike repair shop The Bike Church, sustainable transportation advocacy group People Power, bicycle-powered delivery service PedEx, and more.
Re-skilling:
(Sub)urban Homesteading and Sustainable Living Meetup is a group recently organized, using the online tool "Meetup," to organize events of many kinds that foster sustainable living. A good place to get re-skilled.
Food Not Lawns A housing cooperative on the westside geared towards backyard urban farming and permaculture. They teach a series of sustainable living classes each quarter through FreeSkool Santa Cruz.
Local economy:
Think Local First Santa Cruz is a network of independent and locally owned businesses and community organizations joining together to promote economic vitality and preserve the unique character of our community.
New Earth Exchange Our own local currency project! New Earth Exchange, launching in 2011, is easy to join as a business of any size or as a local currency user.
Rebuilding community:
The City Repair Project, in Portland, Oregon, is an all-volunteer grassroots organization helping people reclaim their urban spaces to create community-oriented places.
Local Energy:
Marin Clean Energy is the state's first "Community Choice Aggregation," which under a 2002 state law, allows cities and areas in Marin County to purchase their electricity from more renewable and locally generated sources instead of being limited to PG&E.
A farming town in Germany called Freiamt has more than met their goal of becoming energy self-sufficient.