From the category archives:

Building Community

I recently reviewed the mission statement of this blog and was struck by how it sums up my own “mission.” The purpose of this blog is to connect topics in economic development, community development, and new media technology and identify practical actions readers can take to make a difference in improving our society. I want [...]

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Towns, cities, developers, business leaders and activists should seize the communication opportunities available in social media to collaboratively and cooperatively plan their economic futures. I recently blogged about how Boston World Partnerships is developing a social media approach to facilitate connections between “movers and shakers” in Boston and globally promote the city. I subsequently chatted [...]

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Social Media writers describe how blogging can be used to connect with customers and influencers…and at a personal level, to build your brand and personal network. But so often, they are talking about people who are already established or who have now made it “big.” Blogging can be valuable for everyone, even if your objective [...]

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As gas prices skyrocket, Americans will abandon the suburbs and embrace urban living. That’s the wishful thinking I detect when urbanists seize upon the findings in a CEOs for Cities study that claims to find and prove a causal link between rising gas prices and the collapse of the housing market bubble. The study is [...]

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Town governments should consider using wikis to encourage citizen involvement, deliver greater transparency in the public policy process, and achieve faster, more comprehensive solutions to local issues. A wiki is a website made up of pages that users can add to or edit using a web browser. Changes are recorded and preserved in the version [...]

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Today, the city of Boston will announce a website that is described by the Boston Globe as a “Facebook-like social networking website.” That description fails on so many levels to communicate the value of what the city is doing. Boston World Partnerships is the non-profit created by Mayor Menino to promote economic development in the [...]

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This article provides advice and tips for residents of Massachusetts who are unemployed. It is the most popular post on my blog. Please read the related posts in the category “Navigating Unemployment” and the comments below. Please consult the Mass.Gov website for improved information regarding unemployment benefits. No legal advice. This blog post relates my [...]

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Over at my local blog, WestwoodBlog, I wrote a short photo narrative about how I used my bike and trailer to pick up produce at our Community Supported Agricuture (CSA) farm this weekend and then made a side trip to the grocery store. It’s part of my effort to promote more bike and walk-friendly activity [...]

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I’m writing a proposal for a writing fellowship. On this blog, I had started a “business plan,” but I ran out of steam when I realized I’ve spent the last dozen years or so in startup companies tying to second guess management on how to make the business work. It’s boring. It’s a necessary means [...]

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New Time Religion

by Dave Atkins on June 26, 2008

in Building Community,Creative Life,Essay

While visting my Mom in rural Virginia, we attended her Riverside Community Church. It wasn’t what I expected. The church meets in a new movie theater in Farmville and makes good use of the space, with a band (electic guitar, bass and drums) and video projector displaying the words to the songs and quotes from [...]

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