We’ve all had the “If I won the lottery” fantasy. Most hypothetical indulgences include world travel, buying property, paying off loans, or the somewhat-boring savings option. All of these, however, center around an individual award- an inordinate lump sum of dough awarded to one lucky person. But the United Kingdom’s People’s Postcode Lottery is changing some citizens’ idea of what wealth means to not just themselves, but their communities, and communities around the globe. On the surface, it’s like any other lottery- you buy a ticket, and cross your fingers. But every week the Postcode drawing awards £25,000 to not one person, but the entire street from which the winning ticket is selected. The rest of the tickets purchased within the greater neighborhood (the Sector Prize) are also awarded cash prizes. On top of that, 20% of all ticket sales go towards Nature and Wildlife Conservation, Children’s Wellbeing and Poverty Relief. It’s a simple idea, and the money is only the beginning. Residents have a better chance of winning on behalf of their street or sector if more people play, so residents engage with their neighbors, creating community and a common goal. Then once prizes are awarded to the street or sector, residents are more inclined to (and typically do, based on past winnings) rally together to pool their wealth for the good of the community. While money should not always be our go-to tool for community development, here’s an example that turns wealth into a resource to be shared, earned, and spent together to prioritize the whole over the sum of its parts.

by Emily Pilloton

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While the thought of a micro-economy based on the exchange of zero currency might sound absurd, Freecycle has built an entire community around the exchange of free goods. Need a bike seat? Mattress? Cell phone? It’s likely available on Freecycle, which, similar to Craigslist, is built around an online network for metropolitan areas. Read the full story

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Paul Hawken’s Commencement Address

“This planet came with a set of instructions,
but we seem to have misplaced them.” Read the full story

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I recently had the pleasure of serving as a juror for the RE:burbia Competition (sponsored by Inhabitat and Dwell).  Competitions provide an opportunity to explore ideas, needs and questions that often do not arise in the developer driven world of design.  They serve a genuine need in the world of design, and have historically been responsible for moving the art of design forward. Read the full story

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Winner’s Circle Interview with Diana Jess from Re:Store

1.   What sparked your interest in participating in a Re:Vision competition? Read the full story

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Winner’s Circle Interview for Re:Store with Egbert Chu & Zachary Colbert

At the center of this new urban community dynamic is the urban farm. Our proposal emphasizes the importance of sustainable local food production as a response to both:

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Winner’s Circle Interview with Austin Tragni, farming (PARK)

“All too often we see land being taken away for parking and at the same time the reclamation of abandoned parking lots to turn into viable land, specifically farms in urban environments.” Read the full story

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1. What sparked your interest in participating in a Re:Vision competition? Read the full story

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In November, Urban Re:Vision and the Women’s Earth Alliance hosted a fundraiser for the first African Women and Water Conference. Read the full story

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The Calitzdorp project is the work of the Great Western Cape Bicycle Ride and ITDP (Institute for Transportation and Development Policy) and is a way for farm workers in South Africa to own bikes.

Bikes being the only asset they have. “Workers in Calitzdorp, who once had no opportunity for advancement under apartheid, are discovering a newfound sense of self-worth and independence.” Contributed by Bradley Schroeder, ITDP (bschroeder@itdp.org)

If owning a means of transportation can transform someone’s quality of life in so many ways, how can we start to incorporate accessibility to these means in villages, towns and cities everywhere?

This and many other projects being created by these two companies are challenging communities to ReRoute. I find their work inspiring and ReVisionary and therefore I am sharing them with you.

This and many other projects being created by these two companies are challenging communities to ReRoute.

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