A mere five or ten years ago, the relatively simple practice of telecommuting--working from home instead of from a traditional office--was seen as a fairly revolutionary concept. But thanks to the multitude of productivity-enhancing tools that technology has made possible--smart phones, netbooks, Skype, email--members of the so-called creative class have increasingly been transforming not only how and where work gets done, but also how and where life itself gets lived.
During the April 25th installation of the
Junto, "a monthly meet-up of hot topics and local issues" organized by the South Philly web design firm
P'unk Ave, those very concepts--living and working just about anywhere, with the help of technology--will be discussed, debated, and possibly even expanded upon. (Reception at 6:00pm; discussion at 7:00pm.)
Past P'unk Ave Juntos have explored topics ranging from art criticism to the future of the
Free Library. But the upcoming "
Rethinking Shelter" Junto will explore the ideas of alternative housing, including cohousing, in which multiple families live together, and even multibasing, a practice in which travelers can share numerous homes in varied locations for short periods of time. "It's not like staying in a hotel," says DiMasi of multibasing, "and it's not like crashing on someone's couch."
The philosophy of the technomad--a knowledge worker who takes advantage of technology to live like a nomad--will also be discussed.
Two founders of Philly's uber-sustainable
Postgreen Homes firm will be on the event's panel, and as DiMasi explains, although cohousing was originally based around the idea of family, "one of [Postgreen's] proposed projects is a co-housing place in Fishtown that will be more focused on the young and urban."
"We've had some really interesting discussions," says DiMasi of past Juntos, which have been ongoing since 2006. "And sometimes you don't even know that you care about this stuff!"
Source: Geoff DiMasi, P'unk Ave
Writer: Dan Eldridge
Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your Development News tips here.