hay + laganakou
Community Philosopher Alain de Botton acknowledges that there is a moral crisis in society, driven by financial crisis and by individual pride. He looks at how one might borrow good ideas from organised religion, including how to create and encourage community. A congregation is a group of people who are not the same age, race profession or income, but do share a commitment to certain values: i n our project, people would come forward because they have common interests, such as contributing to and gaining from livestock and the land. In many existing allotment schemes people from all backgrounds, different nationalities and incomes work on adjacent plots. A place ‘attractive enough to evoke enthusiasm for the notion of a group’, like de Botton’s Agape [both love and feast] Restaurant, to transform strangers into friends : this is our café. A calendar of events to bring people together and remind them of what is important: meals and events are linked to seasonal rhythms, the agricultural calendar, secular equivalents of Saints Days and feasts. The ideal restaurant of the future is one that would foster community, where people sit down with strangers and tolerance is promoted among neighbours over a meal. Implementation Who will pay for a new secular spirituality? For the Common, we propose that a co-operative of local residents, pupils and professionals will run it – a tested and successful method of organisation. Membership will open and managed by a member elected board. People have a sense of responsibility and involvement by having shares and potential profit. The co-operative will lease the land from the council (a reasonable rate is anticipated as the council will no longer be responsible for upkeep). A grace period will be negotiated while capital is gathered from the allotment scheme. Where land is privately owned – the petrol station, garage, railway land – the co- operative will negotiate to buy or lease the roofs and unused ground. Initially, allotments and market stalls can be rented out; deposits and profit can be brought into the co-operative. London allotments have long waiting lists and generate an immediate, steady income. In 2001, 78% of the people in Kentish Town lived in flats without access to gardens and natural space, making our site valuable to the immediate ‘landless’ community.
Animal shares can be bought by members; rare breeds and British species will be encouraged and promoted and a controlled breeding programme under existing council-sponsored City Farm charities will increase the stock. Potential profit will come from animal products. Animals can roam, contained by cattle grids; streets can be repaved to allow grass to grow in the cracks. A popular farmers’ market currently held a local school can be moved to the hub: it is ideally located next to a road junction and across from local shops – a good central position for an eco- friendly market catchment area, a comfortable walking distance to local transport. In creating community, the project must foster new businesses that address emotional needs, in addition to making a profit. These include the café, seasonal feasts, classes run out of the Hub, in addition to caring for animals and plants. The café will be run by the co-operative, using locally-sourced food wherever possible. The project is a hub in the wider community as well. It can offer training programmes linked to catering and agricultural businesses, in conjunction with local secondary schools. Training in self sufficiency, in making things - whether that be knitting, baking or composting, all will be useful in money stretched times. Conclusion The Common and its Hub, a focal point for the urban community for all ages and parts of society ties into a trend for locally- grown produce and an interest in things green. Can this zeal be transferred, to help people work for something bigger than themselves, to come out of their ‘private cocoons’? If so, the Common/Hub will become more than just another cafe/park/ farm/shop – it will be the focal point of a new open urban-rural community. Participants will know and recognise others in their neighbourhood, and feel ownership, pride, belonging. It will become an urban village that can look out for itself, its members and neighbours. –
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Colleagues Toshiko Terazono and Goneta Heta co-designed the Common.
1 de Botton, Alain. Religion for Atheists: A non-believer’s guide to the uses of reli- gion , London: Hamish Hamilton, 2012. 2 Vancouver is considered a success story in urban agriculture since the 2003 adoption of the government-supported Food Action Plan: city-wide food system assessment, rooftop gardens, community gardens, farm- ers’ markets, co-ordinated food processing and distribution facility for low-income citizens. Its community gardens, have not only accomplished social benefits from resident participation but also self-sufficiency.
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