Transition Streets

What is a Transition Street?

Transition Streets Groups …

• are neighbours (7-10 is recommended) who have agreed to work with and support each other as they learn and develop practical action plans for saving money and reducing carbon emissions in five major areas: home energy use, food, water use, transportation, waste/consumption.
• Groups should be aware that this is a pilot project being adapted (from the UK version) and tested for the first time in North America. We are figuring things out as we go, and we want groups who can work with us in an evolving environment. It means less certainty, and more opportunity for input. You are partners in this experiment.
• Each group will receive a workbook and an orientation session. The project has a Co-ordinator to broker resources, information and provide in-person supports to each group as needed.
• The orientation session will help groups with: facilitation of your meetings, date and time for meetings, agenda setting, how to deal with exercises, accessing speakers or other resources, and other topics.
• After you work through each of the five modules (meeting every 3 or 4 weeks for 5 or 6 months – assuming breaks in summer – and tailored to each group), there is the opportunity to develop a project together. This is not mandatory.
• There is an evaluation for the project. You will asked to complete one part at the beginning of the project and another at the end. This is an important part of the pilot that will help us determine if there is value (actual impacts) in expanding this approach in the CRD or beyond. We are committed to a final report in December 2011.

Things we are exploring, but can’t promise just yet!

• Opportunities for project participants to access reduced cost services (like energy audits for example) or resources.
• Raising seed funds to support group projects.
• We are open to exploring other ideas groups may have and responding as best we can, within limited resources, to support each group.  In some cases, good ideas may have to be recommendations for the next project

To express interest in participating contact Project Co-ordinator: Peter Dunsmore-Papagiannis at peterpapagiannis@gmail.com