In The Fifth Sacred Thing, Starhawk re-imagines San Francisco as a large village
Maybe I have been thinking about Villaging ever since reading Starhawk's vision of a post climate change San Francisco. I could imagine walking through this city reclaimed- reclaimed by water, trees, people and the buzz of chatter and laughter, instead of traffic. And this wasn't a Utopia on a distant planet, a far off future, or with impossible technology. It seemed so possible, so likely, so lovely. I feel like I have been there. This city/village vision feels like part of my past, or a future remembered.
And now, here we are, over 20 years later, not quite to the 2048 date of the story, but so much closer to the climate disaster and theocratic take over than ever before. Some ideas may seem dated, not such the big deal that they were in 1993. But others have only grown more real, and more menacing.
It seems the perfect time to reconsider the type of world we want to live in, as we are challenged to hold the systems we have in place.
While Starhawk recreates the whole city, that city is made up of neighborhoods, the perfect canvas for neighborhood villaging.
Each neighborhood also has its own plaza. Many have been carved out of intersections, and all have cafes and eating places, small shops, art, and play equipment, and public gathering spaces. As well, each has some special attraction, and many are stations on the Trackways.
We are just beginning this exploration of what your neighborhood might look like as a village. Fiction and fantasy allow us to touch our authentic yearnings, without having to justify them. Take the time to build your villages in the air. Don't start with how to create it. Don't start with whether its the best or right thing. Don't worry that other people won't like it. Just play for a while.
As new ideas come to you, try them out in your own neighborhood. Can you see it lined with fruit trees that are not only beautiful, but edible? Where would your market square be? If you would like to play and imagine with a group, join the mailing list and let us know. We can set up some workshops for Villaging Step 1- Dream and Play.
Read more of Starhawk's vision here.