Sustainability+Poster+Abstract+db

A lesson I learned relatively early on in __my research__ is that long-term sustainable projects require multiple iterations. Not just because getting it right the first time is near impossible, but also because one cannot take into account all of the little nuances of the human condition that make or break a project. Projects that are environmentally, as well as socially sustainable must be sensitive to the unexpected and contingent realities of a complex world. Current institutions are capable of it, but are not uniquely adapted to thrive in it. The trend towards reduced public expenditures and increased online social interaction have radically shifted how individuals come together to work on collective projects.

I contend that a new kind of institution, one formed around the idea of //praxis// (knowing through doing) is absolutely necessary to break new ground in the social sciences. This institution would be equal parts community center and research lab. It would demand the best and the brightest, but acknowledge that sometimes the answer to a nagging question //must// come from a novice or layperson. This dissertation surveys a variety of projects in which public space is being redefined in light of declining capital investment and rising digitally mediated social action. Three field sites were selected for their uniqueness both from each other and public space in general. Each case is also an exercise in praxis, wherein old boundaries of expertise and hierarchies of power are dramatically shifting. All three projects seek to organize individuals in such a way that awareness of social problems is increased and the capacity to solve these perceived problems is evaluated and tested. I aim to “triangulate” across all three cases to provide generalizable conclusions about praxis in the service of technologies of public space. This work is immediately applicable to academics interested in alternatives to traditional research institutions and social entrepreneurs that wish to bring radically new ideas to lingering problems of poverty and social injustice.

The aim of this study is to advance understanding of organizational forms capable of supporting social and ecological sustainability at the community level. Through observation and analysis of three diverse initiatives intended to enhance community capacity for long range planning and problem solving, the study will identify organizational characteristics that allow communities to map assets, critically evaluate their own practice, develop new forms of expertise, and deliberate future pathways. The three initiatives to be focused on -- a mesh WiFi network and an outdoor performing arts space in North Central Troy, NY, and a condom vending machine in Kumasi, Ghana -- each provide opportunities to examine how public space can be developed to enhance community life. The condom vending machine provides a safe and private space for stigmatized activity; the mesh WiFi network provides a platform for community information exchange; the outdoor performing arts space enhances opportuntiies for face-to-face interaction across established social boundaries. All three initiatives are designed to enable communities to creatively respond to long-recognized problems in new ways. This study will triangulate across all three initiatives to provide generalizable conclusions about community organizational forms and praxis. This study will contribute to scholarly understanding of praxis, and and orient social social entrepreneurialism.
 * Social and Ecological Sustainability at the Community Scale: A study of Community Organizational Forms**