Social Solutions
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I started this over on my Bluesky account in February, but wanted to put it here to keep better track of it and add to it/edit it more easily.
- Another social solution would be to expropriate abandoned towns to be refit for human use. Though the industries they were built for may be gone, there are other industries and job types (like remote work) that people could do there.
- A social solution is creating a social media network that is not dependent on anything in the US, that could start by providing access via your library membership.
- A social solution could include the alteration of the average school day, lengthening it so that parents aren't required to pay for before/after care because of work. You could do this by providing homework space, access to activities such as sports/music/etc., all included in the cost of schooling.
- Another social solution is the creation of a nationalised grocery chain that is not capitalistically profit-driven. My inner creature wishes we could take the Loblaw corporation away from Galen and his ilk and turn it into a crown corporation, since they have all the infrastructure set up already.
- Several side social solutions could be done here that include the preparation of free take-away meals (a la Sikh langar), or sit-in meals if there's a space to do so, donations to school lunch programs, donations to community fridges and food banks, and farmer-oriented/led community projects.
- A social solution would be to expropriate empty/abandoned big box stores and malls to use as temporary shelter for the homeless until permanent solutions are found, such as tiny home parks and shipping container buildings.
- A social solution would include the alteration of how work is done to make jobs that can be changed into more task-based ones than 40-hours-a-week ones. Task-based and gig based, while currently problematic, would allow for greater flexibility for all, including the disabled and chronically ill.
- A social solution would be increased availability of mending and repair group events where you can take things to be fixed by volunteers donating their time to either do the work or show you how to do it yourself. This cuts across both repair of mechanical items as much as it does the mending of clothes.
- A social solution could involve converting office buildings into housing, particularly housing with more focus on community and third places given the room types and amenities.
- A side project to this could be the inclusion of a tool / equipment library where residents and others can borrow tools or use them on site. This reduces spending, waste, and promotes sharing and mutual aid.
- Other projects in such a hub could include urban farms, community gardens, and community kitchens to foster community, reduce waste, and help care for those who might need more assistance. Large rural farms could be plot split to allow for smaller growers to rent land they couldn't afford otherwise.
- A social solution could involve free eco-conscious public transit to reduce car dependency and emissions, and improve access to jobs, education, and services. This could include more than just buses, like mini neighbourhood-centric transit as well, car pooling, and covered mobility scooters.
- A social solution could involve expanding K-12 schooling to something year-round, reducing childcare and scheduling burdens on parents. This does not need to be in the form of classroom schooling only, but be expanded to something activity-based to include life skills, volunteering, practical skills.
- Along with shifting to a more task-based work style, a social solution could include the implementation of a shorter work week to improve work-life balance, reduce burnout, and provide more work options if the other days still need gaps filled. Hire more people. This has the added advantage of making more work options available to those who are disabled, chronically ill, or caregiving other family members.
- A social solution could involve switching to universal design in all constructions, including the retrofit of present ones, so that buildings, transportation, and public spaces are accessible to everyone. This could include ramps, elevators, and tactile surfaces. Accessibility benefits everyone.