The DIY Collective Members
Posted by Sabina
What is a city?
According to Glaeser, the two social functions of a city are to consolidate and invest in its people. Consolidation in a city can mean anything from people to companies. New York’s Manhattan is only a mile long from 41st St. to 59th St. but employs more people than New Hampshire or Maine. This gives people(and their ideas) the ability to communicate freely, easily, and inexpensively. It also allows for good and steady competition between other companies.
Mumford believes that city planning, layout, and housing are handicapped due to the fact that city planners sometimes misunderstand a city's purpose. Cities can be defined by a variety of different aspects: location, physical features, industries, neighborhoods, activities, sports teams, natural wonders, groups of people- the list goes on. Investing in people, for Glaser, is one of the most important aspects of every successful city. His main example is Bangalore and Silicon Valley (which really is not a city). Near both of these areas are incredible universities. In Silicon Valley, Stanford University is just around the corner. As for Bangalore, the top-notch engineering universities of the India Institute of Technology and the University of Mysore are right outside of town. New companies are started constantly from these schools alumnus. Education can be very beneficial and there are many other ways in which a city can invest in its people, but some citizens take a more proactive approach...
While Mumford claims,with good reasoning, that cities often have troubles due to their lack of knowledge for social functions, Boulder caters quite well to the small but important Do-It-Yourself (DIY) collective crust-crunchies(*the hyper links throughout help to provide tangible examples of what is being talked about).They are everywhere though may not realize it. Yes, inside every dumpster, shared community space, clothing swap, free bin, and protest, they are making use of what most of society overlooks. Who am I talking about? This group is a direct byproduct of The Creative Class. Florida defines The Creative Class as members who “create meaningful new forms” of life through their super creative core (scientists, poets, actors, engineers, designers) and the thought leadership (nonfiction writers, think tank researchers, analysts, cultural figures). The group identified mainly functions through the core value of cooperation, relying on their community to share ideas, passions, skills, and resources. They consist of a very diverse group of people from all walks of life concerned with equality and justice.
According to Glaeser, the two social functions of a city are to consolidate and invest in its people. Consolidation in a city can mean anything from people to companies. New York’s Manhattan is only a mile long from 41st St. to 59th St. but employs more people than New Hampshire or Maine. This gives people(and their ideas) the ability to communicate freely, easily, and inexpensively. It also allows for good and steady competition between other companies.
Mumford believes that city planning, layout, and housing are handicapped due to the fact that city planners sometimes misunderstand a city's purpose. Cities can be defined by a variety of different aspects: location, physical features, industries, neighborhoods, activities, sports teams, natural wonders, groups of people- the list goes on. Investing in people, for Glaser, is one of the most important aspects of every successful city. His main example is Bangalore and Silicon Valley (which really is not a city). Near both of these areas are incredible universities. In Silicon Valley, Stanford University is just around the corner. As for Bangalore, the top-notch engineering universities of the India Institute of Technology and the University of Mysore are right outside of town. New companies are started constantly from these schools alumnus. Education can be very beneficial and there are many other ways in which a city can invest in its people, but some citizens take a more proactive approach...
While Mumford claims,with good reasoning, that cities often have troubles due to their lack of knowledge for social functions, Boulder caters quite well to the small but important Do-It-Yourself (DIY) collective crust-crunchies(*the hyper links throughout help to provide tangible examples of what is being talked about).They are everywhere though may not realize it. Yes, inside every dumpster, shared community space, clothing swap, free bin, and protest, they are making use of what most of society overlooks. Who am I talking about? This group is a direct byproduct of The Creative Class. Florida defines The Creative Class as members who “create meaningful new forms” of life through their super creative core (scientists, poets, actors, engineers, designers) and the thought leadership (nonfiction writers, think tank researchers, analysts, cultural figures). The group identified mainly functions through the core value of cooperation, relying on their community to share ideas, passions, skills, and resources. They consist of a very diverse group of people from all walks of life concerned with equality and justice.
By mostly living off of the waste that mainstream society
produces, they make a point about the pitfalls of capitalism. They can be seen
getting the ‘past sell-by’ or ‘slightly bruised’ foods out of dumpsters (given
that we live in Boulder this is mostly quality organic food). They will
purchase the rest of their food from a food
cooperative or an independent grocer.
Clothing swaps are their main source of wardrobe besides going to a second hand
store. Sometimes they can be seen making clothing, but this is becoming less
popular as more clothing is mass produced and thrown out. They will make their
own alterations to clothing giving it some individual flair or to convey a
message they looking to spread.
Besides clothing they re-purpose old furniture or use
scraps to build whatever they need (solar dehydrator, movie projector, chicken
coop). While most Americans go to retail stores to purchase merchandise, the
DIY collective members think about how they can most efficiently make what they
need. If they are unsure how, they will tap into their network of people because
someone will know.*This idea is key. Think about when you were younger; if you
were unable to do something you would probably ask your family for help. These members
create one large family unit, while not blood related, emotionally they are
bonded. 
Some people classify this group of people as ‘hippies’
given the amount of attention focused on the environment. Their carbon
footprint is very low since they repurpose most of what they consume,
commute almost always on bicycles (any kind of weather), tend to be urban homesteaders
of some kind, and are a daily-showering -optional crowd. One of the most
beautiful aspects of this group is their lack of judgment. They open their
homes/lives to create a ‘safe-space’ for anyone willing to adapt to their
lifestyle. They question almost every socially constructed norm (gender, hygiene,
love, education, etc.).
As Florida nicely puts it, “they have odd personal
habits or extreme styles of dress.”
They inhabit housing
co-operatives for financial reasons as well as to further re-enforce their mission
of sustainability. These houses are their main landscape, used as a vehicle for
hosting functions and entertaining. Events include but are not limited to:
music shows, beer making, bike repair tutorials, craft night, 80s dance
parties, open-mic nights, potlucks, and film screenings. They can also be found
at your local, independently owned,
fair trade coffee shop or bike cooperative. Boulder, as a college town, is segregated into different communities for many reasons such as socioeconomic status, age, and occupation just to name a few.There are areas notorious for college students, upper, middle, and lower class families. Athletes seem to live close to their facilities, and like all the other groups, the DIY community seems to have their niches in the city.
Like the readings mention, The Creative Class is not
concerned with defining themselves by the amount of money they make. This is
represented by the types of jobs they have. Most of the time, they work for 501 C-3 nonprofits, social entrepreneur start-ups, colleges/universities,
or by doing computer work from
home. They create most of their jobs and never work for major corporations
which would make them question their ethics or morals. There is a mutual, generous, healthy, and open-minded relationship established.
To help provide some perspective and contrast of the DIY sector of the creative class, here is their polar opposite: the "meatheads", work out bros, and roid ragers'. While still part of the creative class that Florida describes, these weight lifters are a breed of their own. Spurred on by protein shakes, supplements, and fulfilling their daily caloric needs they provide yet another page too the book of the creative class.
Hello my name is Jack: I guess you can consider me a "meat-head" in my own words this is simply a person (usually a man due to the level of testosterone needed to cultivate muscular mass). But we are the guys who enjoy lifting weights just for the sake of it. It’s good for you, both physically and mentally. I think that it helps to build positive character traits such as the importance of merit, confidence, and a good old fashioned work ethic. Persons in this class usually have some idol of sorts to help them guide their journey to size. Some examples might include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronnie Coleman, or Dorian Yates.
While we may not all want to look like this:
We can respect the fact that it took some willpower, dedication, and perseverance to get to that level of size.
Wow, writing that last paragraph made me feel like I'm the man. However, according to Urban Dictionary a meat head is:
Hello my name is Jack: I guess you can consider me a "meat-head" in my own words this is simply a person (usually a man due to the level of testosterone needed to cultivate muscular mass). But we are the guys who enjoy lifting weights just for the sake of it. It’s good for you, both physically and mentally. I think that it helps to build positive character traits such as the importance of merit, confidence, and a good old fashioned work ethic. Persons in this class usually have some idol of sorts to help them guide their journey to size. Some examples might include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronnie Coleman, or Dorian Yates.
While we may not all want to look like this:
Wow, writing that last paragraph made me feel like I'm the man. However, according to Urban Dictionary a meat head is:
"An enormously muscular guy who cannot hold a conversation about anything other
than weight-lifting and protein shakes. Gets upset very quickly when he cannot complete his own sentences and thoughts. Can be found at nightclubs wearing shirts that are 10 sizes too small (if at all). They are by far the most closely related human beings to that of apes, chimpanzees, and other primate. They are evolutionary hindered and are less capable of following directions than my dead hamster." -I have to agree on the part about the shirt sizes being too small. | ||
But this definition of the "meatheads" got me thinking how we all need to see each other in a different light. The DIY'ers are not really all that different than the musclemen. While too many of us they are just those boulder hippies that we find forming drum and guitar circles. But there is a level of depth that we are oblivious too if we only look at them as a stereotype. Just like how it can be easy to misinterpret a work out bro. The separate creative class groups may not partake in the same activity as one another, but we are sharing some of the same values. Like Florida describes, the goals of creative class members may be different. However, the creative citizens go about pursing their goals in the same manner. Above all, I feel that the creative class is merely looking for a sense of purpose in their life. The lifestyle choices we make reflect that. Whether the goal is to be physically fit and help others achieve the same or to help feed the needy by working at a non-profit. The choices we make as the creative class all begin with our desire to have fulfillment. As I understand, the DIY'ers devote their livelihood towards living a sustainable life while helping others as well. Meatheads devote their time to those 1-2 hours they spend in the gym each day encouraging each other and lending a hand when needed.
After all, whether we are hipsters’, jocks, geeks, weirdoes, hippies, crusty, ragers, greeks,
(insert describer here)
I guess were all human.
Evidence of the creative class litters Boulder. The countless gyms, yoga studios, health-food stores, holistic healers, and communal gatherings all contribute in making Boulder unique. On a nice day, usually at the beginning of Spring, Boulder Creek paints a picture of this collective class of people.
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