Systemic Perspective

We've spent hundreds of millions of dollars on roads in our town. The car infrastructure we created influences our cultural superstructure: we value convenience and individualism at least in part because we've subsidized convenience and individualism so dang much.

We can't actually afford the roads unless we keep growing (complimentary Strong Towns rabbit hole). It's pretty uncomfortable to reckon with the idea that maybe we've built our infrastructure in an unsustainable way, and I believe our cultural value of "Growth" is a superstructural result of our car infrastructure. Everyone who's studied entrepreneurship has heard proverbs like "if you're not growing you're dying," and many economic development theories list growth as the number one goal. Maybe it's a basic instinct - it seems like every organism does its best to grow, not just people - but now that we know we're going to run out of space and fuel, shouldn't we start planning ahead?

The cognitive dissonance around depending on infinite growth on a finite planet is intense. Some people have been driven so far as to to believe we will grow into outer space! They find it easier to imagine terraforming alien planets than to imagine a stable economy that doesn't grow. Guys, we're barely able to keep Earth habitable, what the heck do you think we are gonna eat on Mars?

Coffee Bike Bus!

Longfellow neighbor Jacob is organizing a fun step towards car independence: a bike bus to school. He writes,

Next week on Thursday May 21st, Longfellow parent Jacob Simmering and Matt Burkey from the Safe Routes to School program at the Iowa Bicycle Coalition are hosting the first-ever Longfellow Bike Bus and would love for lots of biking families to join! Families meet at Chadek Green Park (off Friendship St) at 7am for "Coffee Outside" (bring your own coffee, donuts provided) then we all ride together to school at 7:35am. 

I love this as a fun thing anyone could organize. Thanks to Jacob for his leadership in making this one happen. If your kid goes to Longfellow, consider joining on May 21st! And if you don't, ask us about getting help organizing your own. Here's a picture from a Peninsula bike bus from a couple years ago for inspiration.

Bunch of kids getting ready to bike to school together!

It's Bike Month!

May is Bike Month! There are quite a few ways to get started biking - check out Bike Iowa City's events page.

Biking to RSFIC

It's bike month, and you're already planning to come to:

Could you bike?

Here's a map we made showing routes that require a moderate level of biking experience. Beginners could safely do these routes as long as they have a more experienced friend with them. The routes are all paved, either on separate bike paths or on slow, low-traffic roads. They minimize hills and don't require any mad dashes around uncontrolled intersections!

Map of bike routes to RSFIC

I would not send my experienced 13-year-old son on all of these routes by himself until I had escorted him several times. Would YOU like an escort? Let me know and we'll schedule something around your route :)

 

County Politics Acknowledgment

RSFIC stays focused pretty locally because we have the most power in our own homes, neighborhoods, and city. But there's a lot going on through town about county politics, an election is coming up, and many great people in our city ARE paying attention to higher-level government activity. So here are some links to some of those folk's stuff! 

 

Peace,

Riley

 

 

 

RSFIC is a private operating foundation building long-term, systemic resilience in Iowa City. We say "rizz-fick!"


rsfic.org

Did someone forward you this email? If you like, you can subscribe for yourself here!

Unsubscribe    View in browser