If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed.

I was not sure if I wanted to get on the blog here and start talking about this project until I was further along but I am beginning to think that the benefits of including everyone in the process outweigh the risk of humiliation if this thing were never to get published.

Its a tough thing writing a book and even tougher for someone like me with bad grammar and writing skills (come on, don’t even try and pretend you didn’t notice). But I feel that I have something that needs to be said, and there isn’t any way something like bad spelling is getting in my way. There are plenty of good editors out there who I am sure would agree with my beliefs and want to edit my book for me. (I hope)

I want to write about community, about the kind I think we could have if we tried and what its going to take to get us there. I have seen so many faceless sprawling ticky tacky rows of boxes we are trying to pass off as places to live and have witnessed degrading quality of life and community that I feel something needs to be done and I choose to stand up as someone who is willing to try to make a difference. I know I am far from perfect and can only hope affect change in a few lives but if by writing what I believe I am able to help just a few more people build lives for themselves that are richer and more fulfilling and they in turn can contribute to better places for more people to live. Then I will stand up and take that challenge. Bad spelling and all, I am going to take on the goal of describing a better way to live. [Read more →]

Go check out this article about a San Francisco development project that is now selling and then come back here and tell us if you want one of these buildings built here in Sacramento. You never know you might just get your wish one of these days.

I know its limiting and “not for everyone” but my question is not if everyone would buy one of these, just if there are enough someones. I think the pricing would be in the 150,000 or less range if it were built here.

Levi

I know that you would think that music and urban space do not have all that much in common but I think somewhere deep down in the way good music pulls you in and gets you to dream in a way you weren’t sure you could, good livable urban spaces started in the same place. It’s passion spilling into the world in different ways.

I was digging through some old camera equipment we had laying around and found these awesome studio headphones, I tried them on and plugged them into my ipod with the new Radiohead album and I swear it was like listening to it for the first time, all the subtle background noises that made up the sound were not only there but made what I was hearing so much more alive. I wish there was some way to put on some city headphones and see a place in the way it was really intended to be.

Next time you go for a walk in your favorite part of town put on your city headphones and look around. Stop in one place and see if you can hear what it is that makes that place feel how it does…Look for the passion, listen for the subtle noises that make up the sound.

What do you see?
Levi

For those looking to make a difference in the place they live, I would argue that the first and simplest step you can take is to start Blogging. It unlike many other options is an easy first step and has the potential to evolve into something bigger. Not just bigger on the blog side but bigger impact, more collaborative, less you in your living room thinking alone.

Here is one that started recently and has potential.

Soon I will do a post with all the Sacramento Blogs (that I know of) on it. There are several good ones out there that could use your help.

Levi

I have heard of adaptive re-use but this is a whole different thing going on here..

If this does not make you want to go out and buy a new car…..

This picture was photographed by Chris Jordan as a part of a series helping give us a glimpse of our true impact on the world.

Last week I was frustrated with our voicemail system and decided that I was going to fix it no matter how long it took me.  3 hours later we had a new message, simpler extensions and well… some good music for those who just need to take a break from their busy day.  But here is the funny thing, I did not think that anyone would actually listen to it.  But you want to know something funny?  I checked our stats today and people are calling in all the time and listening to the music.  And sometimes its for a long time, like 20 minutes at a time.  How fun is that?   I guess people like my music choices

Want to hear some good music?   Call 916.930.9400 and press 5.

Levi

I am very excited about this solution for vacant urban land.  We have often talked about what to do with land that both we and others in our area own and have turned down the idea of a community garden because there are so many stories of gardens that once put in are “permanent”.  And I understand fully why that is.  But this idea takes out the permanence of that concept and allows a space to be used while it awaits future development without having to worry about what is in the dirt that could possibly contaminate the soil.

I can not tell you how inspired I am to make this happen all over the place!  I am going to be in touch with the people who did this in London and get more information on how it all went together.  I really hope that somehow Sacramento can adopt this as a interim solution and these can pop up all over the place.  The lots that now take away from the area would instead contribute to the community.   And all for a very minimal investment.   There is no doubt that gardens help build community and more than ever the cost of transportation mandates that we grow more of our own food as close to home as possible.

Who is with me?

Go here for more about the people who started it, and here for an article about its first trial run.

Jessie (My awesome wife) has been really digging this blog lately. We now have homemade hand soap, deodorant and laundry soap is on the way, all because EnviroMom is helping us think about our waste and consumption in a new way with her writing. Makes me think about what else we can produce at home…  Because its clear that a good portion of each of our carbon footprint sizes comes from the packaging wasted by the stuff we buy.

Here is the recipe if you want to get your hands dirty (or clean, either way).

1 cup water
1/4 cup liquid castille soap (like Dr. Bronners)
1 tsp vegetable glycerine

Levi

I have been trying to do more blogging and less linking here so that you actually get something of value when you come here to the LJ Urban blog.  But look at this jacket, how could I possibly resist posting about it?

Levi