YOUR ORGANIZATION IS:
A nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect urban residents and make them more educated, responsible, open-minded and caring.
YOUR CAUSE IS:
Making the city a better place to live in. Connecting, engaging and educating residents.
Suggested Microvolunteering Actions for A Better City
CREATE
create a poem, photo, song or drawing about: *a building, * street, * neighborhood
design a micro space for recreation: *front door bench, *green wall, *micro-garden, *picnic table
create a street art piece to embellish the city: *mural, *stencil, *yarn bomb, *sticker, *chalk art, *lock-on
SHARE
share information about open spaces and free services in your community
promote hyper-local events: *an amateur art exhibition, *a neighbor’s birthday party, *a reading circle, *a kids’ play date in the nearby park
share archive photos or videos of places that have changed a lot
share homeless people’s needs and emergencies
contribute ideas for games aimed at bringing residents together: *treasure hunting, * boardgames, *escape room, *city exploration app
ORGANIZE
report places in need of cleaning, repair or renovation
map places of interest: *outdoor sport facilities, *playgrounds&green areas, *street art, *free wi-fi hotspots
map&review your city’s touristic attractions
rate public places in terms of accessibility for the disabled
translate an entry from your city guide into another language
report street crime and violent incidents in your community
INTERACT
offer brico, deco&home improvement advice
help someone with gardening
lend a household item, tool or sport equipment to a neighbor
plant a tree in a public area
help clean a park or square
share a car ride with a neighbor
cook a meal for a disabled or homeless person
donate un-used items to charities who help the poor
be a half-day guide for a visitor who doesn’t know the area
spend some time socializing with an elder person
Ideas, trends and experiments:
1)Interactive micro installations to engage urban residents. These could take the form of:
ART: *chalkboard, *painting corner, * graffiti murals, *sand or ice sculptures, *projections on buildings
ECO SPACES: *compost bin, *bird feeder, *pop-up garden
PLAY AREAS: *bench, *day bed area, *cooling shower, *picnic table, *swing and slide set.
2)Tech-based art and games also have the potential to connect people.
One example: AR urban exploration apps. These games create opportunities for residents to move&engage in sport activities, socialize, learn about the history, art and culture of their communities or get started with citizen science.
The community could also organize MICRO EVENTS based on hobbies and pastimes such as: *karaoke, *yoga and aerobics, *outdoor sports such as freerunning, stunt biking or skateboarding, *board games, *street fashion, *storytelling circle, *scavenger hunt&geocaching, *street performance, *urban exploration (collecting stuff, spotting weird objects, etc.)
3) Hyper-local activation. This could involve starting an online socialization group for a micro-community such as a neighborhood, apartment block, classroom, nursing home, park or market.
Public displays could be used in order to broadcast news and encourage residents to interact and help one another.
The neighborhood could be kept clean and cute with the help of volunteers who could take turns performing small actions such as: planting trees, fixing, gardening or painting.
The homeless could also be helped by setting up tents and other types of DIYtemporary shelters. Volunteers can help with design ideas and the building of individual housing units.
