Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 7.1
Transition Towns: the 12 steps to development. (Source: Summarized from the Transi-
tion Town Network 2006)
1. Steering Group Initiation
. This starts the local discussion on the problems and need for
transitioning. It subsequently creates at least four subgroups to discuss ways of achieving the
needed changes, but has a built-in sunset clause to bring an end to their initial work
2. Awareness Rising
. Developing discussion groups and using film shows, newspaper articles,
expert speakers to discuss key problems and how local initiatives can solve them
3. Laying Foundations
. Networking with other community organizations in the town to create
interest and support for the ideas. It is emphasized that the process is dependent on local cre-
ativity and ideas, not on any pre-conceived agenda, or centralised control
4. The Great Unleashing
. At this stage a formal, open meeting for the whole community is
organized to discuss progress to date and ways forward. This meeting is designed to adopt for-
mal organizational principles to guide future work and marks the end of the initial subgroups
that simply acted as catalysts
5. Establishing Working Groups
. These deal with specific issues, such as energy, food, trans-
port, social co-operation, education, health. Development of local resilience indicators are
encouraged to show existing conditions and potential changes in various areas, such as: how
much food is grown locally; types of local production; degree of local business ownership;
extent of commuting; amount of renewable building materials; amount of potential composta-
ble waste etc. Essentially these indicators provide a community inventory, that can provide a
basis for identifying areas of action and a measurable initial base from which change can be
shown
6. Open Space
. These are open meetings to encourage free-wheeling discussions and the devel-
opment of visions for future based on ideas from the participants
7. Visible Demonstrations
. This is the stage at which progress in various areas, such as increase
in composting, tree planting, energy reduction, commuter-sharing can be identified. They dem-
onstrate how the community is responding to the need for change, and provide encouragement
to the activists, and proof to the skeptical, that change can come from within the community
8. Facilitate Re-Skilling
. Development of workshops with elder citizens to highlight the vari-
ous skills that have been lost in our specialist society, as well as workshops to help individuals
develop self-reliance, in such projects as: adding insulation to houses, mechanical and clothes
repairs, and the need for re-use and re-cycling
9. Building Bridges to Local Government
. This is a necessary step to ensure that elected repre-
sentatives and local officials are informed of the various work to date, and will be encouraged
to formally adopt the various initiatives. It is expected that the Transition Town organization
will eventually create a plan to deal with the problems that will soon emerge and will be offi-
cially approved by the district, town or community
10. Honouring Elders
. This involves the development of archival work and oral histories to
show how local life before the oil economy was organized and supported. Demonstrations of
older practices, especially by involving children, will teach older skills and encourage intergen-
erational activities
11. Individualised Operational Practices
. This approach can be practiced at various stages. It
stresses the need to encourage all groups, discussions or projects to find their own operating
processes and solutions, with initiators acting merely as catalysts to create new initiatives
12. Integration
. The results of the working groups should be organized into an Energy Descent
Action Plan to be presented to, and hopefully approved by, the relevant local authority
Titles are the same as in the original source, but the descriptions are rephrased
