July Neighbors Salon: Bringing the World into the Room


MotiveSpace’s next Neighbors’ Salon is coming up on Friday, July 2nd, from 4:00 – 6:00.

We’re calling this month’s topic ‘Bringing the World into the Room,’ and will hold the space for a brainstorming and discussion about emerging technologies and tools which can help document and support community conversations, without interrupting their flow or focus.

This is a timely topic for MotiveSpace, as well as many of the communities we support.  There are many tools out there Read more…

Bringing the World into the Room: Background considerations and questions.


MotiveSpace has had a great series of conversations this year, and we’ve heard a lot of good feedback about future topics you’d like us to address.  It sounds like everyone values the chance to come together in-person, but would like better ways to keep the conversation going after the Salons.  MotiveSpace is also getting contacted more frequently by non-local and busy allies, who can’t make it to the Salons but who want to get involved.

This is a timely topic for the communities MotiveSpace supports, as well.  Some of the Seed Teams (project teams) MotiveSpace has been working with this year are doing such a great job of reaching out to friends and neighbors that they’re growing faster than anyone could have expected.  As new allies come on board and a Community Story begins to emerge, it becomes increasingly important to document the conversations which took place along the way.
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May Neighbors Salon: Learning from Portland’s Cohousing


MotiveSpace’s fourth Neighbors Salon is coming up next month on Friday, May 7th from 4:00 – 6:00.

April’s discussion on Portland’s community spaces was extremely fruitful – about 35 neighbors came out from cohousing communities, community gardens, community cafes, and other mission-driven spaces to talk with other members about what makes their spaces strong.  We got a lot of good feedback about principles, use-types, and design characteristics, and also heard strong ideas about the spaces currently listed on the ‘Portland’s motiveSpaces’ map.  Read more about the discussion and the next steps for the mapping exercise below.
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Advisor Zach Moser


Zach Moser serves the Coalition as MotiveSpace’s Tech liaison, helping the Board navigate the rapidly changing landscape of social media, network theory, and participatory technology. Zach is currently enrolled in Portland State University working towards a Masters in Systems Science, with an undergraduate focus on psychology.

Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, Zach began programming in BASIC at the age of 6, developing an early fascination with all things technological. Zach later served 4 years in the Navy as an electronics engineer, programming circuit boards and troubleshooting electrical hardware and equipment. Zach’s attention later turned to how technology could be used as a tool to empower individuals, and enhance their personal sense of freedom.

Zach’s professional background has primarily been in community event organizing. Zach helped to found a Rio Grande Valley organization called Outsidin, whose mission was to provide a platform from which musical and artistic diversity could emerge. In that capacity he organized large events and became familiar with the infrastructure needed for large successful gatherings- Zach knows how to throw a great party! As a strong proponent of personal freedom as well as collaboration, Zach is committed to the emerging philosophy of Collective Individualism, which challenges people to look closely at their personal balance of individual and community needs.

Zach’s reflective and thoughtful approach to complex issues makes him a strong and fair decision maker. His broad base of talents and willingness to help out on many fronts has earned him the affectionate label of motiveSpace’s ‘go-to guy.’ With an eye to the future and a great sense of humor, Zach brings a lively spark of energy and whimsy to motiveSpace’s team, and we are honored to have him on Board. You can follow Zach on twitter @wwjimd.

April Neighbors Salon: Mapping Existing MotiveSpaces


MotiveSpace’s third Neighbors Salon is coming up next month on Friday, April 2nd from 4:00 – 6:00.   We had a great time in March hearing from everyone who came out to learn more about Hatch, the Incubation Center we’re working on with Springboard Innovation.  We can’t thank you enough for all of your fantastic ideas and comments!  We are working to incorporate the ideas you shared into additional material for the next round of visioning and programming development.

Next month, we’d like to broaden the conversation, and talk about the foundation of every neighborhood: community spaces where everyone is welcome.  What role do formal and informal community spaces play in our neighborhoods?  How do they serve communities now, and how can we work together to strengthen them?  In this month’s newsletter we’ve included articles talking about City Repair and the Project for Public Spaces – two of the groups at the edge of community-oriented placeMaking and community development, and foundational inspirations for motiveSpace.
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Mapping Existing MotiveSpaces: Background and Considerations


At the next Salon we’ll explore basic questions:

  • What makes a space welcoming? 
  • Is it the people, the process which began it, or something in the way it’s designed?

MotiveSpace, being one part advisory network, and one-part project incubator, is dedicated to helping neighbors build neighborhoods.  That means we help communities build collaborative visions, and we help builders find communities who need them.  We believe in people-first, people-responsive development.

To better understand the spaces already existing in Portland neighborhoods, we’re coordinating a Community Spaces/Places mapping, kicking off at next month’s Salon.  We’d love to hear your ideas about community spaces already existing in your neighborhood- where do you feel inspired, welcome, and empowered?  What is it about those spaces that you love- is it the people?  The food?  Something about the way it was designed, built, or the way it’s run now?
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February Neighbors Salon: Micro-financed PlaceMaking


How can the creative spark of design, and the optimistic energy of building, be used to fuel effective cycles of engagement and empowerment for our neighbors, and in our neighborhoods?  How can space motivate Change?

The themes of our day are collaboration, innovation, change.  In every field, practitioners at the cutting-edge are studying the lessons of open-source software development, micro-financing, crowdsourcing.  We have learned that we can go farther, by going together.

Micro-financing is a term from Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Laureate and visionary economist who’s shown us how far small amounts of money can go when working together, and how strong the drive to work and give back really is, in all people.
Read more…

March Neighbors’ Salon: Community Design Session on “Hatch! An Innovation Incubation Lab”


MotiveSpace is looking forward to our next Neighbors Salon, coming up this Friday, March 5th, from 4:00 – 6:00.  Last month about 30 people came out to see our new space and kick off the discussion, and we look forward to keeping the conversation going!

This month we’re holding the space for a project review and design session for the Hatch Lab project, in collaboration with Springboard Innovation.  After a 20 minute presentation on the project status, program, and goals, we want to hear from you!

Hatch’s mission is to provide an environment where new or experienced changeMakers and social entrepreneurs can come to use tools, resources, and facilities, get support for their project, be inspired by others, or to work closely with community leaders, developers, and business owners who know how to make big projects happen.  We are cooking up a stellar program and list of services intended to help Portlander’s do well, by helping others.

We want to hear how YOU would use Hatch – what amenities excite you the most, how you want to be involved, and what you think we’re leaving out.  Read more…

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