The Happy Design Toolkit is a book on how good architecture can help mental health in the community. Simple factors like lighting, comfort and access to nature and social interaction, can alll impact how we feel. The book features 100 hand-drawn illustrations (including roof gardens). And shows how ‘bumping into each other’ architecture can cure…
your community
how to start your own community blog
Heather Stillufsen Whether you wish to start a local blog for interest or politics, there’s a huge market for talented artisans to change the status quo, as most tourism and council blogs are boring and uninspirational. Rather than do what they do and promote zoos, aquariums and fast food outlets – you could promote local…
support your community wood recyclers
Community wood recyclers take unwanted wood, and use it to make furniture and gifts or turn scrap wood into kindling to sell at low cost to support other projects. This provides jobs, and saves trees! For reclaimed wood plant pots, learn how to make gardens safe for pets (includes indoor plants to avoid). Avoid facing indoor…
ask your council to create a ‘wiggly bus’
Caroline Smith One idea for rural communities that can greatly encourage bus travel is a ‘wiggly bus’. These are buses that use GPS software so that the admin office knows where the bus is for safety. Then rather than ‘set times’, people can ‘phone up for a bus’ or hail it down, as the bus…