Sustainable Proximities
Introduction
This approach relates to sustainable proximities as mentioned on the Sustainability page, and extends the Create Sustainable Resources point in Ways to Use ProxThink.
Sustainability
As mentioned on the Sustainability page, a sustainable proximity (sometimes it's a resource) is one which can support or relate to many different situations, and can persist, adapt and change as needed. This is where "sustainable" means that the complexity of growth and life can persist, adapt and change as needed. You might think of sustainable as often meaning lively. Keep in mind that more sustainable proximities can be part of, contain, or exist alongside of, others which are less sustainable.
Applicability
This discussion may be especially relevant to proximities which people share, in the sense that a proximity is part of many of their individual situations as well as situations they are involved in as part of groups of people. Examples include neighborhoods or a neighborhood resource (energy, meeting place, communication, etc.), the earth, a drinking water system, a process or method of collaborating, a network (of roads, wires, communication, etc.), the set of elements and relationships which result in a product or service (such as a computer, appliance, restaurant, school, etc.), and a park or beach.
Sustainable Features of ProxThink
The sustainable features of the ProxThink Innovations, especially the Growth Model, combined with ways you can use ProxThink for Design and Planning, Strategy and Implementation, Conflict Resolution, and Managing Change, creates frameworks and processes for sustainable resources and proximities. Using the four Growth Model processes, people can monitor proximities using ProxMonitors, connect and relate with RelatePoints, develop strategies and agreements as Vadi Agreements, and encourage ProxRewards (proxri). For a few examples of the Growth Model in action, see our Climate Change Project, our Proxri Deal on this site, the Proxri Deal on davidloughry.com, and Downloads and Proxri Deal on artdown.com.
Leveraging Technology
Add to the Growth Model the network technologies enabling communication (such as mobile phones, satellites, GPS and the Internet), sensing technologies (such as for heat, light, vision, motion, chemicals, etc.), and database technologies, and the possibilities for sustainable resources and proximities expand. These sorts of technologies especially serve some processes of the Growth Model, such as RelatePoints, ProxMonitors, and ProxRewards (proxri), which will in turn support the creation and improvement of Vadi Agreements. Further, these technologies and the Growth Model might allow us to focus more on some proximities which relate to a wide variety of people and situations. By comparison, markets often focus our attention mostly on more narrow proximities such as those for companies, governments and individuals. In other words, the Growth Model and these technologies might assist us in shifting from a focus on revenues and costs for companies, governments and individuals to a focus on proximities, ProxMonitors, proxri and relationships for some proximities and situations. Also see this blog post for a related discussion of markets and financial turmoil.
Focus on Proximity
It's important to note that we can probably create a greater number of sustainable proximities than we now have, when we focus on what proximity means, in the ProxThink sense. So, recalling the ProxThink definition of proximity, we focus on the elements related or potentially related to a situation, in physical, mental and other ways. A few examples: We could make 1) the proximity related to drinking water (the situation) more sustainable, 2) the proximity related to a public park (the situation) more sustainable, 3) the proximity related to a neighborhood resource such as energy (the situation) more sustainable, or 4) the proximity related to a collaboration process for working, playing or resolving differences (the situation) more sustainable.
Climate Change Project
Our proxEarth Climate Change Project shows how these ideas, the four Growth Model processes, and some technologies can interact. It includes things you can do right now if you have a website, blog, or use social software sites.
Three Other Initiatives
Combining the ProxThink Growth Model with the Internet has resulted in four initiatives so far. The four initiatives include: 1) A new growth model for websites and blogs. See our Proxri Deal and Proxri Membership, as well as the Proxri Deals on artdown and davidloughry.com. 2) The artdown proposal for downloadable digital content such as music, movies, video, art, books, software, etc. 3) The proxEarth climate change project, mentioned above. 4) Considerations of how ProxThink relates to markets and financial turmoil, discussed in the Financial Turmoil post on the blog. There are probably many opportunities to use the ProxThink growth model and Internet combination to complement and enhance markets, and perhaps replace markets in some proximities as well as serve some proximities which markets can't serve.
Interpretation
Of course, the process of choosing which elements and relationships are most relevant to a situation, and should be part of the proximity, is often subject to interpretation. Some of the sustainable ideas, tools, models and standards of ProxThink can play a role in making this interpretation more sustainable as well.
What might this be like?
What might this be like for proximities which become more sustainable? Based on how ProxRewards in Practice can function, this approach might be sort of like the give and take of a neighborhood, relationship, friendship or perhaps being a considerate traveler. You may want the neighborhood, relationship, friendship or location you're visiting to survive, thrive, and take care of you as you take care of it. You may also want it to persist, adapt and change as needed, which is how proximities stay sustainable and life stays interesting.
Limits
Not every proximity may be appropriate for this sustainable proximities approach. But for those which are, it may be a win/win strategy for people involved, allowing a fuller range of voluntary engagement, while meeting needs at the same time.
[[to come - more expanded examples]]
Was this useful, helpful or rewarding? If so, visit our Proxri Deal, or proxri now via Partners, ProxSets or Money. Also, please join here.
Join Here - We want ProxThink to be a sustainable resource for you and others. So we created Proxri-Based Membership, and it is free to sign-up. Join here.
To Members Area
Much more
for members.
Join here.
Proxri Deal:
As you find
our relationship
rewarding,
proxri
with the
proximity
in mind.
© 2008 David Loughry | Terms | Privacy | Proxri Deal | Contact | (r]