social capital | Ghost of Midnight

FPF’s story…

Posted on Friday, July 17, 2009 by Michael • No comments yet

A national TV news show asked for a thumbnail sketch of FPF recently, so here’s what we sent…

Neighbors turn the Internet on its head to build vibrant community

Mention the internet, and most people think of the WORLD wide web… reaching out across the globe for news, long-lost friends, or low-price bargains. But in Burlington, VT, residents are using the web to connect with… their backfence neighbors. In an era where national and global information is broadly available online, it seems that few of us know our neighbors and what’s going on down the street. Husband and wife Michael and Valerie Wood-Lewis saw an opportunity three years ago and created FrontPorchForum.com to serve their city. Amazingly, 40% of the state’s largest city subscribes and the sense of community there is thriving and winning national awards (see below).

“It’s astounding what a couple minutes a day of neighborhood news and chatter in my inbox has done,” says co-founder Michael Wood-Lewis. “People tell me that they lived on their street for ten years not knowing a soul. Now, since Front Porch Forum (FPF) kicked in, those familiar strangers have become real neighbors.”

Each neighborhood has its own online forum and the whole region is blanketed with a network of 130 neighborhood forums. People post about lost pets, block parties, car break-ins, plumber recommendations, helping ailing neighbors, local politics, school plays and much more. All ages partake… from seniors in their 80s seeking community support to stay in their homes… to teenagers looking for summer jobs.

In one rural neighborhood, people used FPF to find a pair of lost horses, then pitched in to build a better enclosure for the owners. In an urban neighborhood, the residents rallied around a mother who was assaulted in their park, and eventually got the city to improve safety conditions there. And in a different community, a young family asked for a couple helpers to move their household into new digs across the street… 36 people showed up! Not only was the job done quickly, but now this family knows three dozen neighbors.

“This small family business turns the internet on its head,” says FPF member and University of Vermont Assoc. Dean Susan A. Comerford. “The web offers countless ways to waste time, but Front Porch Forum actually pushes people offline and onto the sidewalks to chat with neighbors, face to face.” And that leads people to get more involved in their communities. An incredible 93% of FPF members report becoming more civically engaged due to this free service.

“Front Porch Forum is a postmodern return to citizen democracy,” opines Comerford. “This may well be the most important advance in community development strategies in decades.”

Accolades for Front Porch Forum

PBS MediaShift: Named FPF one of three national “great experiments around local news,” 2008.
Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy: Featured FPF at inaugural meeting, 2008.
Case Foundation: Placed FPF sixth out of nearly 5,000 “participatory democracy” projects, 2008.
American Press Institute: Featured FPF in seminar about cultivating local online conversation, 2008.
Rural Telecom Congress: Annual Champion Award, and People’s Choice Award – Most Innovative, 2008.
Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society and Sunlight Foundation: Featured FPF as local online innovation at conference, 2007.
Orton Family Foundation and PlaceMatters: National Innovator in Place Award, 2007.
Personal Democracy Forum: Featured FPF as a local online democracy tool, 2007.
National Night Out: Neighborhood watch award from South Burlington, VT, 2007.
Cottage Living Magazine: FPF flagship named a “top ten” neighborhood in the United States, 2006.
Wall Street Journal, PBS, Morning Edition, many blogs, and nearly all local traditional media in pilot area covered FPF.

Links

Contact
Michael Wood-Lewis
Front Porch Forum

Fund traditional community development… or empower citizens to step up?

Posted on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 by Michael • 1 comment

Kevin Harris blogs today that Jon Fitzmaurice of Self-help-housing.org wrote on the Guardian’s Joe Public:

Self-help housing enables people to be active citizens, and it fights the culture of “someone should do something about that”. It was once more common, but over the last two decades community development and regeneration has fallen into the hands of professionals preoccupied with management and measurement.

Kevin concludes with…

Community development will be reinvented from the bottom-up by people like Jon Fitzmaurice. Let’s hope the others just get out of the way.

Reminds me of a recent Front Porch Forum story…

Lauren wondered if her small rural Vermont town had a food shelf. So she posted a note to her neighbors on Front Porch Forum (FPF). When she learned that none existed currently, she reached out again via FPF for a steering committee. Then it was through FPF yet again that they found food, space, volunteers, and, eventually, recipients — her neighbors delivered on every count! Now, one year later, the food shelf is critical in the lives of many town residents affected by the recession. And no government, foundation, or corporate money or leadership has been needed.

FPF hosts a network of 130 online neighborhood forums that blankets all of Chittenden County, VT. More than 14,000 households subscribe, including 40% of the state’s largest city. Members use FPF to communicate with clearly identified nearby neighbors about issues of their choosing. Thousands of topics have been discussed and acted upon. All of this online exchange draws peoples’ attention to their local community, and increases social capital and civic engagement, as witnessed by Lauren’s example:

“Thanks to FPF, having a community-wide conversation about how to address our local hunger problem was a cinch. With the help of rallying neighbors, we got our food shelf up and running in no time. Not a community meeting — or practically any public-oriented conversation — goes by without FPF being tossed into the mix. What a wonderful gift.”

FPF is eager to bring its successful model to more communities. Some traditional community development professionals and funding programs have a hard time understanding this decentralized, citizen-centered approach. When we tell them that FPF helps create an environment where folks like Lauren emerge from the crowd to do wonderful acts of public good, I hear things like “well, but we don’t fund food selves.” Aargh.

Overcoming isolation through neighbor connections

Posted on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 by Michael • No comments yet

State Rep. Suzi Wizowaty pointed out a great program today via Front Porch Forum…

A recent car break-in reminded me that many of you might not know of the city’s Parallel Justice Program. (I didn’t till this spring.) It’s run out of the Community Justice Center which in turn is a program of CEDO, the city’s community and economic development office.

And her closing remark summarizes what we hear time and again…

I’m grateful once again for the Front Porch Forum’s role in helping us all overcome that potential isolation when something bad happens–whether it’s vandalism, excessive noise, or even skunks.

Richmond’s bridge is OPEN!

Posted on Monday, July 6, 2009 by Michael • 1 comment

The people of Richmond, VT, rallied to pull together through a very tough bridge closure right in the heart of Richmond Village. Good news… the bridge is now fixed up and open. Amy Klinger, one of the many people who jumped in over these past many months just posted the following on Front Porch Forum…

Hello, friends and neighbors. There are (at least) three organizations that have played critical roles in helping Richmond and its neighbors get through the last challenging 10 months: Richmond Area Business Association (RABA), Local Motion (the ferry service provider), and Front Porch Forum. All three organizations survive because of community support and I want to encourage folks to consider getting to know them a little better and supporting them in any way you can…

Front Porch Forum: If you are reading this message, you know what a valuable resource we have in Front Porch Forum. Here we can find a good firewood resource, keep apprised of criminal activity in our neighborhoods, discuss wildlife sightings, and vent frustrations. Over the last several months, we were also kept apprised of business-related news, bridge updates, and special events. Not bad for a free service. While I don’t know the stats for Huntington or Bolton, I’ve heard that 40% of Richmond residents are currently FPF subscribers–a good number, but it could be even better. If you know folks who are not currently subscribers, may I suggest you start saying things like, “You know what I read on Front Porch Forum?”or “You should post a message to Front Porch Forum about that.”or go the direct route, “Hey, you should sign up for the Front Porch Forum.”Here’s the website: http://frontporchforum.com

Thanks to these organizations and thanks to all of you who keep our communities vibrant and strong.

FPF Raffle – Quadricentennial Edition – Enter by July 1

Posted on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 by Michael • 10 comments

Front Porch Forum Raffle Time! Did you know that it’s been 400 years since the first European laid eyes on our fair lake? Help mark the occasion… fill in the two blanks in the following sentence and post it to your FPF neighborhood forum to enter our raffle…

If I had a _________ for every year since Samuel de Champlain first saw Lake Champlain, I’d have _________.

Do it for fun. Do it for your love of our lake. Do it for a chance to win a prize. Or do it to help enliven your FPF neighborhood forum… But do it by July 1! Here are two efforts…

If I had a PENNY for every year since Samuel de Champlain first saw Lake Champlain, I’d have FOUR DOLLARS.

If I had an INCH OF RAIN for every year since Samuel de Champlain first saw Lake Champlain, I’d have OUR WET SUMMER OF 2009.

FPF members… copy and paste the unfinished sentence into a new email message and fill in the two blanks. Email it to [FPFneighborhoodforumname]@frontporchforum.com or post it via the web by going to http://frontporchforum.com/home, logging in, then clicking Post a Message: Using the Web.

Enter (multiple times if you like) on or before July 1, 2009. Act FAST! Bonus points if your entry has something to do with your neighborhood/town. Prizes as follows (one pair of tickets to each of the following events will be awarded):

July 5 – The Roots
July 5/6/7 – Only Drunks & Children Tell the Truth
July 7 – King Sunny Ade
July 8 – Counterpoint
July 9/10/11 – Territoires Feminins
July 11 – Ween
July 12 – Water Music
July 13/14 – Aurelia’s Oratorio

Thanks to our sponsors: Higher Ground, Burlington International Waterfront Festival and Burlington City Arts! Learn more about the Quadricentennial at http://www.celebratechamplain.org

UPDATE: See the eight winners and many of the other entries!

Free Sugar Snap Peas… fresh from the garden

Posted on Thursday, June 25, 2009 by Michael • No comments yet

Tim in Burlington’s South End just posted this gem to his nearby neighbors on Front Porch Forum…

Hey neighbors! – Our front yard garden is now producing some wonderful sugar snap and snow peas. Come eat some as you stroll by [address redacted]! It’s a free garden for anyone who wants to partake.

And what makes this even more special, we’ve been seeing plenty of property crime postings lately in this area… what a refreshing departure!

“I love my street!”

Posted on Monday, June 22, 2009 by Michael • No comments yet

Kristine loves her neighborhood! Here’s her pronouncement in her own words (via Front Porch Forum this evening)…

I just wanted to say how moved I was this weekend by the kindness and friendliness of neighbors on my street. I feel so fortunate to live on my street as I am surrounded by many amazing people. It was great to see so many people out this weekend doing yardwork and home improvement projects. I had a couple neighbors lend me their push mower so I could mow my lawn. A neighbor was gifted 2 bags of mulch from another neighbor. Another neighbor while driving by stopped and asked my next door neighbor if she needed anything from the grocery store. A few neighbors did morning yoga together at the Archibald garden. I brought a couple of neighbors out for lunch and retail therapy. Another neighbor shared veggies from his garden with a few neighbors. A neighbor gave me a plant from her yard. A few neighbors went out for creamies together. I am sure there were plenty of other amazing things that happened between neighbors this weekend. Let’s keep it going! This is what it is all about.

And, from someone else in a different part of town, a concern posted on FPF…

Yesterday afternoon, Eugene stopped Paddy and me to use our phone because his telephone was not working. He was concerned about being without a phone in case of emergency, as he is elderly and has some health issues. It seemed like Carol, his next door neighbor, had everything under control by the evening, but I’m just checking in to make sure that he is ok. I tried calling him this morning and either his phone line is still down, or he is not answering.

UPDATE: Jean responded today…

Cheers Kristine – I have to second her thoughts and feelings about our neighborhood! It is truly a testament to how kind and generous people can be to one another. This is one of the greatest streets in the ONE and I am so grateful to be a part of it…I say this at least once every week. How many people can say they feel this way about their neighborhood? I hope quite a few. It’s a great feeling to know that people care enough about their neighbors to extend a friendly helping hand, advice, or just a moment to sit and visit. Thanks St. Louis St (and beyond)!! Keep it up!

Personal Democracy Forum and FPF

Posted on Monday, June 22, 2009 by Michael • No comments yet

Pete Peterson wrote a solid piece about Front Porch Forum for Personal Democracy Forum… published today. Please check it out and leave a comment there. Thanks Pete and Micah!

Software that leads to more face-to-face interactions?

Posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 by Michael • No comments yet

From Mike Lanza today…

I caught a glimpse of the future of mobile phone games this past weekend at the Come Out and Play Festival in New York City last weekend, and I’m very excited.

I played six “location aware mobile games” that made me run and walk like crazy, talk to dozens of people, and explore nooks and crannies of New York that I never would have seen otherwise. In other words, playing these games made me more physically fit, more social (face-to-face), and far more aware of the physical environment that surrounded me.

This is the polar opposite of the effects of today’s video games on children, who play for hours inside their houses without moving anything but their fingers, barely talking to anyone.

It’s a rare computer application that encourages more face-to-face interaction with people in real time and space. That’s one thing that sets Front Porch Forum apart. It’s encouraging to see others moving in this direction.

Antidote for back yard deck

Posted on Friday, June 5, 2009 by Michael • No comments yet

From Erin in Burlington today…

I love Front Porch Forum! You have helped us find cat sitters, child sitters, garage sales, too much to mention. We are so happy this exists — in an age where everyone’s porch is now a back yard deck, how nice it is to have a “virtual” front porch. Keep up the amazing work.

More FPF member comments here.

Category Archives: social capital

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Search the Blog

Yearly Archives

Post Categories