Citizenship and Governance for a Five Thousand Pound Life

Original: https://archleague.org/article/citizenship-and-governance-for-a-five-thousand-pound-life/

After tackling issues of economic growth, investment in clean energy technologies, and the notion of a steady-state economy, we now turn the focus of our curated digital series to decision-making, democracy, and civic engagement. Dayna Cunningham—Executive Director of the Community Innovators Lab (CoLab) at MIT—begins this shift with a call to recognize voices from across the full spectrum of society as vital to sustainable development. Drawing from innovative examples from across the United States, she argues that progressive social movements must gain wider currency and affect environmental change by viewing issues of employment, crime, and health as ecological concerns. By making a clear connection between The Five Thousand Pound Life and the democratic decision-making that must get us there, Cunningham’s “Five Thousand Pound Democracy” highlights citizenship and governance as environmental priorities.