Christian Arnsperger: Drawing ideas from Switzerland’s “horizontal metropolis”- Wed., July 19, 2017 at L.A. Eco-Village

Veggie Potluck and talk on L.A.’s perma-circular future:

According to Dr. Christian Arnsperger, Los Angeles has never been just an unsustainable, sprawling,

Christian Arnsperger

resource-guzzling behemoth. At least since the 1930s, and especially since the 1960s, there has been a small, persistent, and varied underground that wants “another LA.” The city has been variously (re)imagined by Olmsted and Bartholomew as a garden-and-park idyll, by Richard Register as a network of ecocities, and by Paul Glover as a network of ecovillages. People have puzzled about how to make Los Angeles more regenerative, more bioregional, and more human-scale. In his talk, Christian Arnsperger  will reflect on this “other LA” as a sympathetic outsider, looking at our city from the Swiss vantage point, drawing elements from his ongoing collaboration with Swiss and Italian urbanists. Switzerland can be viewed as a “horizontal metropolis” — a city-territory of 8 million inhabitants with a very specific way of weaving together the urban and the rural, the cutting edge and the traditional, the dense and the diffuse — a time-tested recipe against sprawl and wastefulness but also against destructive densification and concentration. There may be very interesting things to learn about a sustainable, “perma-.circular” future from a comparison between the LA metropolitan area and the Swiss horizontal metropolis.

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About Christian Arnsperger
An economist by training, I’m a professor at the University of Lausanne. My affiliation is with the Faculty of Geoscience and Environment, and I am a member of the Institute for Geography and Sustainability. We are a multidisciplinary institute focused mainly on the human- and social-science aspects of environmental issues.  My own teaching and research revolve around Sustainability and Economic Anthropology. That’s what my chair at the University of Lausanne is called. Yes, really …

read more about Christian and see his blog here.

Christian visited L.A. Eco-Village
last year to a full house.  Please come join us again this year.


EVENT DETAILS:
Reservations please:  crsp@igc.org or 213/738-1254

Date & Time: Wednesday, July 19, 2017 
6 to 7:30pm:  Veggie potluck.
Please bring your own non-throwaway eating ware and make this a zero waste event

7:30 to 10pm: Talk, Q&A, discussion

Fee:  $5 to $15 sliding scale at the door
If paying by check, make checks out to “CRSP”

Location: 
Los Angeles Eco-Village
117 Bimini Pl – Lobby and courtyard
Los Angeles 90004

 

 

 

 

Los Angeles Area Intentional Community Summit – Sunday, April 23, 2017

We’re putting on the second Los Angeles Intentional Community Summit this Sunday!
It’s for all folks who live in or are interested in community living to get together and create a larger network, to learn about how other communities operate, discuss the issues that affect community life, etc.

Let’s eat some snacks and drink some drinks and get to know one another and our city’s communities. 

Where:     Sugar Shack, 4402 W Pico Blvd, LA CA 90019
When:      Sunday, April 23 at 12:00pm to 2:00pm
Bring:       Veggie Snacks and/or drinks to share + non-throwaway plates, utensils, cup

This is a leave no trace event

Please read details to make sure you’re a fit for this event.

 Please share it with anyone who might be interested!
Peter Dean
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Designing a “Perma-Circular” Economy: Wed. July 13 at 7pm at L.A. Eco-Village

Join us for an informative and provocative talk with Christian Arnsperger of the Faculty of Geosciences, University of Lausanne, Switzerland. And a veggie potluck before the talk.

Christian will argue that the there is a serious imbalance when industrial societies promote wholesale recycling without also limiting economic growth, rendering such policies essentially useless for building resiliency.  He’ll share with us a permaculture approach to the economy in which natural, human and cultural capital are primary over advancing technological and financial capital, and how this transition from capitalism can take shape.

This type of dialog and civic engagement can lead us to explore radical ideas about what tomorrow’s “sufficiency economy” might look like.”

EVENT DETAILS:

Date:     Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Time:     Veggie Potluck at 6pm in the courtyard*
Talk and discussion: 7 to 9 pm
Where:  Los Angeles Eco-Village
117 Bimini Place
Los Angeles CA 90004
Directions

Reservations required:  crsp@igc.org or 213/738-1254

Fee:      $10 (self selected sliding scale)

* If attending the potluck, please bring a veggie dish to share and your own non-throwaway eating ware to make this a zero waste event

ABOUT CHRISTIAN ARNSPERGER

Christian Arnsperger is professor of sustainability and economic anthropology at the Institute for Geography and Sustainability (IGD) of the Faculty of Geoscience and Environmental Studies (FGSE). He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Louvain (Belgium) and has been teaching and researching for many years at the interface between economic analysis, human sciences, and existential philosophy. A specialist of post-consumerist/ post-growth economic alternatives and of the link between ecological transition and the change of mentalities and lifestyles, he is also a scientific adviser to the Alternative Bank Switzerland (ABS) and, in that capacity, he develops “action research” field projects and collaborations in the area of sustainable finance.At the IGD, Prof. Arnsperger more specifically centers his activities around the following areas:

  • Spatiality and territoriality as factors of ecological sustainability
  • Sustainability of lifestyles, sustainable consumption, and existential economics
  • Money, finance, and sustainability: Towards a “monetary eco-geography”
  • The cultural roots of unsustainability in the United States

Read Christian’s blog and more about Christian here

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Los Angeles Eco-Village Neighborhood Potluck & Movie Night, Sunday, September 27, 2015 at 6pm

You’re invited:

Sunday, September 27, 2015 at 6pm

127 Bimini Place, Los Angeles 90004
(adjacent to our big building)

Bring a vegetarian dish to share and your own
eating ware to make this a zero waste event.
You may also want to bring along a blanket for
picnic style event.

Movie at 7:30pm:
The Exterminating Angel”, the award winning
1962 macabre comedy by Luis Bunuel, in

Spanish.  Review here.  Note: may not be suitable
for children.

FREE EVENT

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Open House at L.A. Eco-Village, Sunday, April 26, 2015 from 3pm to 8pm

Open House from 3 to 6pm:  Music, tours, workshops, kids’ activities, fun, free raffle with fun prizes.

AND

Veggie Potluck from 6 to 8pm:  Bring any veggie item to share, enough for about 4 to 8 people.  And please bring your own eating utensils.  Let’s keep this a zero waste event.

Please RSVP for veggie potluck to:   membership@urbansoil.net

No reservations required for Open House 3 to 6pm

FREE EVENT

Los Angeles Eco-Villagers will host you for these activities:

L.A. Eco-Village Orientation and MiniTour with Ana Paula and Zoe at 3:30pm, and with AnaPaula and Claire at 5pm

Gardening and greywater with Irma at 4pm and at 5pm

Consensus oriented decision making with Yuki at 4pm

White House Place Learning Garden with Lara at 3:30 and 4:30pm.

Children’s Art Table with Leslie, Daniel and Randy at 4pm and at 5pm

Timebank and Craft Club and Repair Cafe with Leslie and TimeBankers Katie and Ginko & Scoops at 3:30 and 4:30pm

Conflict Resolution with Aurisha at 4:30pm

Food Lobby Co-op with John at 4:30pm

Skill Sharing with Zoe at 4:30pm

Energy Workshop with Somer at 5pm

Closing and Raffle with Adewole and Bruce at 5:30pm

Veggie potluck in Courtyard from 6 to 8pm.  Please bring your own eating ware and a dish of veggie food for 4 to 6 people.  Let’s make this a zero waste event.

Much as we love dogs, please do not bring them to this event.

Please walk, bike or use public transit.  Parking is often very limited in our neighborhood.   More directions here:  http://laecovillage.org/home/directions/

 

 

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Just for the Fun of it: Holiday Potluck & Hangout at L.A. Eco-Village, Sunday, December 14, 2014 at 7:00pm

Curious to learn more about the Los Angeles Eco-Village Intentional Community?  C’mon and hang out with us to celebrate the holiday season, the Solstice, and one another.

Make your favorite holiday veggie dish, enough for 4 to 8 people, bring along  your  non throw-away eating ware and join us for our Sunday night potluck JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT!

EVENT DETAILS:

  • At the Los Angeles Eco-Village, 117 Bimini Place, 90004    directions
  • Sunday, December 14, 2014 at 7:00pm to 10:00pm
  • Free and open event.  No reservations required.
  • More info:  crsp@igc.org or 213/738-1254

Event sponsored by the Los Angeles Eco-Village Intentional Community Urban Soil-Tierra Urbana Housing Cooperative Bienvenidos Committee.

 

 

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Dia de los Muertos celebration at LA Eco-Village Sunday November 2, 2014 from 6 to 9pm

Please join us in celebrating Dia de lxs Muertxs at the Los Angeles Eco-Village (LAEV) on Sunday November 2nd, 2014 from 6-9 pm. We will be hosting a community potluck and honoring those who have passed.

Please feel free to bring photos, marigold flowers or anything you would like to display in the community altar. Please also bring vegetarian food to share.

Some ideas of traditional food for this Mexican holiday include tamales, dulce de calabaza, mole, pan de muertxs, enchiladas. You may also want to bring a drink to share.

This is also an opportunity for people to learn more about LA Eco-Village, including how to become a member-resident in our community or a short term guest or longer term visitor.

Reservations: crsp@igc.org or 213/738-1254

Location: 117 Bimini Place, Los Angeles 90004
Directions

Time: 6 to 9pm

No charge for this event.

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Declan Kennedy in Dialog: Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at 7:30pm at L.A. Eco-Village

Prof. Declan Kennedy is an Irish architect, urban planner, permaculture designer and ecologist. Founder  of the Permaculture Institute of Europe, he has been teaching and practicing urban design, landscape and agricultural planning since 1972.

Declan served as Professor of Urban Design at the Technical University of Berlin, Chairman of the Board of the Global Eco-village Network – www.gen-europe.org – and as Chairman of the Advisory Board at Gaia University International – www.gaiauniversity.org

Declan coauthored with his late wife, Prof. Margrit Kennedy, Designing Ecological Settlementshttp://goo.gl/gy0nEe

At 80 years of age, Declan continues traveling the world and teaches ecovillage design from the ecological community which he co-founded and where he lives, Lebensgarten Steyerberg in Lower Saxony, Germany – www.lebensgarten.de (in English at: http://goo.gl/a4RktR ).

Some people say “It is 5 minutes to 12 – for the Earth and for the environment.”
Declan Kennedy says, “the situation on Earth has already tipped over – it is already 5 minutes after 12! But – the good thing about midnight is – it is the beginning of a new day! So – let’s start afresh!”

Please join us for this rare treat of hanging out with Declan.

WHEN:  Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at 7:30pm*

WHERE: L.A. Eco-Village, 117 Bimini Place, Los Angeles 90004

FEE:  $5 to $15 sliding scale.  No one turned away.

RESERVATIONS:  crsp@igc.org or 213/738-1254

*Join us for a veggie potluck in our courtyard at 6:30 pm, if you’d like.  PLEASE bring your own non throwaway eating ware and make this a zero waste event.

 

 

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“Ecovillages: Lessons for Sustainable Community” – Jan. 31st Book talk with author Karen T. Litfin at L.A. Eco-Village

WHEN:       Friday, January 31, 2014 at 7:30 pm (veggie potluck at 6:30pm)
WHERE:    Los Angeles  Eco-Village, 117 Bimini Pl, LA 90004 (Directions)
FEE:             $5 to $10 sliding scale ( no one turned away for lack of funds)
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED:  213/738-1254 or crsp@igc.org

Come hang out with us for a veggie potluck at 6:30 pm and schmooze with others living in or interested in creating more eco communities in and around LA or the world!

Then stay with us as  Karen Litfin shares her adventures exploring 14 of the most prominent ecovillages throughout the world (including LAEV)  on her year long personal journey  seeking answers to how she might align her living patterns with her ecological values,  as well as how societies throughout the world might benefit from the lessons of ecovillages in their midst,  from the most advanced industrial societies to remote villages in the developing world.

Here’s what some are saying about Karen’s new book

“If you can’t take a year off to visit ecovillages around the world, this marvel of a book is the next best thing. It’s actually even better for the carbon it saves, the questions it asks, and the wisdom it shares. I am eager to share it with all my students and fellow teachers.”
Joanna Macy, author of Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in Without Going Crazy

“Ecovillages have for many years acted as micro-laboratories for building a low carbon, post-growth society. But what can we learn from them? How much of ecovillage life is scaleable and replicable? Karen Litfin set out to find out, and her learnings and insights are invaluable. We owe her road trip and her research a great deal, there is much wisdom and treasure here!”
Rob Hopkins, author of The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience

“Nature teaches us that nothing disappears when it dies, it merely becomes something new. Karen Litfin’s lucid and heartfelt book reveals the new life emerging in the cracks of failing systems. Through her eyes, we meet people everywhere who are building high-joy, low-impact communities. Litfin is the perfect guide: intellectually rigorous, spiritually awake and deeply caring. If you want to create a richer, gentler life for yourself and your community, read this book!”
Vicki Robin, bestselling author of Your Money or Your Life and Blessing the Hands that Feed Us

For more quickie reviews, info about the book, and Karen’s travels, go here:  http://ecovillagebook.org/

ABOUT KAREN   
Karen Litfin, Ph.D. is a professor of political science and environmental studies at the University of Washington. She grew up in Pittsburgh and Baltimore, received a B.A. and M.A. from University of Maryland, and then a Ph.D. from UCLA. Karen is a mother, an introspective activist, an avid bicyclist and hiker, and a second-rate gardener. In her research and teaching, Karen takes a “person/planet politics” approach, which entails integrating the intellectual, emotional, practical and contemplative dimensions of sustainability.

Karen’s first two books were Ozone Discourses: Science and Politics in Global Environmental Cooperation (Columbia University Press, 1994) and The Greening of Sovereignty in World Politics (MIT Press, 1998). You can find her scholarly articles on her faculty website. Unlike her earlier writings, Karen’s latest book, Ecovillages: Lessons for Sustainable Community, communicates her person/planet politics approach in language that is at once personal and engaging without sacrificing intellectual clarity and nuance. The book itself is an expression of Karen’s aspiration for wholeness.

Ecovillages traces Karen’s journey to fourteen ecovillages around the world to learn firsthand from those who are taking a “person/planet approach” to their own lives. In this inspiring and insightful book, Karen shares her unique experience of sustainable living through four broad windows—ecology, economics, community, and consciousness—or E2C2.   Her aim was not to be a cheerleader for ecovillages but to truly learn from them, to transform her own life accordingly, and to share her gleanings with ordinary people who want the information about how to transform their lives and the inspiration to actually do so.

Dia de los Muertos Celebration at L.A. Eco-Village, Sat. Nov 2, 2013 from 7pm to midnight

What:               Dia de los Muertos Celebration with Jimmy Lizama and friends

When:              Saturday, November 2, 2013 from 7pm to midnight

Where:           140 Bimini Place, Los Angeles Eco-Village, 90004

 

It’s Daylight Savings on November 3rd!  That means it’s darker earlier and
that means it’s probably a good time to talk about DYNAMOS

 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_dynamo#Dynamo_systems)!

 I won’t have anything bicycle to sell you on November 2nd, but I want to introduce all you
discerning bicyclists to the little place by having a space warming party!

 Please grace us with your good vibes and honor our past ones on who can’t be
here in the flesh to party with us in this Dia De Los Muertos celebration.

 Much love and respect.

-El Pinche Jimmy*

ABOUT JIMMY LIZAMA:
*Long time L.A. Eco-Village member, founder of the popular Bicycle Kitchen,  well-known bicycle activist, bicycle messenger in the Downtown LA area, and TEDx alumni, Jimmy’s new venture is the Relampago* space in the heart of the Los Angeles Eco-Village where he will be creating custom made wheels and bicycle dynamos.

Join Jimmy and friends and enjoy good food, great music, craft beer, dancing and other amenities.  Please bring your good vibs to welcome the space into life, adding yet another dimension to the ever aspiring Los Angeles Eco-Village.

This is a fundraising and fun-raising event, so your donations are invited.  Watch for details.

*Relampago Wheelery aspires to be a source for custom wheel builds, dynamo lighting, and a forum for the continuing dialog of why bicyles are so important to the health and future of Los Angeles.

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