Several weeks ago I decided to jump on a unique opportunity to take a class at Emerson College. The course, Hub2, is actually the first phase of a larger Hub2 initiative sponsored by the City of Boston in collaboration with Emerson College.

The outline of the class is as follows (from Hub2.org):

“Hub2 launches in fall 2007 as two Emerson College classes, one for Emerson students and one open to Boston residents at-large. Participants in the at-large class will engage with their own communities to respond to an identified civic need. For example, residents of a community without green spaces might consider how to fit more parks into a redesigned neighborhood. By talking to people in communities, observing how spaces are currently used, and using new technologies to aid in the process of imagining how spaces could be used, they will arrive at a design proposal. Teams then implement and test the proposal in Second Life as well as devise methods to disseminate their work product outside of Second Life, for example via blogs or live demonstrations.”

Syllabus: http://pages.emerson.edu/faculty/e/eric_gordon/html/07Fall_vm503.html

The project in its entirety “strives for a Boston where all residents take control and ownership of their neighborhoods, enlisting digital environments and networks to strengthen real-world spaces and relationships. Hub2 invites community members to collaboratively imagine, articulate, and assert a vision for the kind of neighborhood they wish to inhabit. We use appropriate technology to facilitate that visioning process and as an amplifier for grassroots voices articulating their common dreams.”

This project is exciting due in part to its infinite potential – so much is still yet to be determined, but it has the potential to redefine the definition of public space and thus reshape how we approach civic engagement, community organizing and activist efforts.

I look forward to participating and reflecting over the next few months. However, in the the meantime I encourage you to check out Eric Gordon and Gene Koo who are both involved with this initiative.