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Critical approaches to the smart city concept are used to begin highlighting the promises of makerspaces, that is to say, those emerging urban sites that promote sharing practices; exercise community-based forms of governance; and utilize local manufacturing technologies. A bird’s-eye-view of the history of makerspaces is provided tracing their roots back to the hacker movement. Drawing from secondary sources, their community-building, learning and innovation potential is briefly discussed.

The future of tiny Brilliant, Alabama, just got brighter with a clear path to broadband.

Thanks to Tombigbee Electric Cooperative, state leadership and funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, residents of a rural community beset by persistent poverty will soon have the fastest internet service available.

Van Dusen and Knox run a small-scale chicken and duck operation on their 7-acre property west of Eugene, and found the Lane County cooperative an appealing opportunity to connect with the small farm community.

“The co-operative movement is at its best when it sees a crisis and comes forward with new thinking to raise standards,” he said. “We could work together on a policy that is around taking some of those properties out of the private rented sector and developing new co-operative models.

ROCKLAND, Maine — For the last two months, patrons of Rock City Coffee might not have noticed any changes when they stopped at the busy downtown cafe for their regular order.

That’s exactly what the the new owners — the people behind the counter — want.

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As a member-owned institution, Lakewinds is under pressure to make patronage refunds while continuing to grow at a rate faster than inflation. “Our growth strategy includes increasing membership and adding new stores,” Woodbeck says. “There are opportunities in the southwestern metro because land is still available; though, as in the residential market, it’s overpriced.”

The Cleveland Clinic laundry operation has long been a crown jewel coveted by Evergreen Cooperative Laundry, which along with Evergreen Growers and Evergreen Energy Solutions makes up Evergreen Cooperatives, a nine-year old employee-owned company.

Looking for community solar? Your best bet is in electric cooperative territory.