Neutral, open source community commons for the network-societies ecosystem

Pop Ups

temporary societies in situ

Pop ups are temporary meetings of dunbar-number sized groups of people who colive with a cocreated schedule and cowork on meaningful projects for 1-2 months for the purpose of experimenting with new ways of community building, experimenting with new ways of living and governance/coordination.

Purpose

To foster a global network of communities to advance humanity by creating playgrounds at the intersection of free and open technology, health, science and social innovation.

History

Lineage

 The following is reproduced from a Devcon7 talk.^1^ ### Enlightenment Salons * 17th – 18th Century * Description: Social gatherings, often hosted by influential women, where intellectuals discussed philosophy, politics, and science. * Problem Addressed: Responded to restrictive societal norms and censorship by creating spaces for free thought and debate. * Impact: Spread Enlightenment ideas, promoting reason, individual rights, and reforms that influenced modern democracies. ### The Chautauqua Movement * Years Active: 1874 – present * Founded in Chautauqua, New York but spread throughout the country * Description: Nationwide adult education and social movement. * What was it? Brought lectures, music, and cultural activities to rural America. ### 19th Century Utopian Communities * Early to Mid-19th Century * Description: Intentional communities experimenting with communal living and shared property. * Problem Addressed: Responded to social inequalities and industrialization's negative effects by seeking ideal, cooperative societies. * Examples: New Harmony (1825), Brook Farm (1841). * Impact: Influenced later social reform movements and ongoing discussions about communal living and cooperative economics. ### Black Mountain College * Years Active: 1933 – 1957 * Description: An experimental college emphasizing arts and holistic education. * Purpose: Founded by John Andrew Rice in response to rigid traditional education. * Faculty and Students: John Cage (composer), Merce Cunningham (choreographer), Buckminster Fuller (architect who invented geodesic dome there), Willem de Kooning (painter) * Influenced a lot of American culture through avant-garde art, music, and progressive education. ### Commune Movement * 1960s – 1970s * Description: Countercultural groups forming intentional communities focused on shared living, peace, and alternative lifestyles. * Problem Addressed: Responded to dissatisfaction with mainstream societal values, materialism, and opposition to the Vietnam War. * Statistics: Estimated 2,000–3,000 communes in the U.S. during the peak. * Impact: Challenged conventional norms, contributing to environmentalism and alternative education growth. ### Esalen Institute * Founded: 1962 * Description: A center for humanistic alternative education exploring human potential, consciousness, and personal growth. * Problem Addressed: Responded to the constraints of conventional psychology and spirituality, promoting holistic personal development. * Impact: Central to the Human Potential Movement, influencing psychotherapy, alternative medicine, and spiritual practices. * Hosted influential thinkers like Abraham Maslow and Alan Watts.

Auroville

  • Years active: 1968 — Present
  • Description: An international township in India aiming for human unity and sustainable living.
  • Problem Addressed: Responded to global divisions and environmental degradation by creating a place dedicated to peace and harmony.
  • Residents: Over 2,800 people from more than 50 countries.
  • Impact: Continues as a pioneering experiment in sustainable living and multicultural coexistence.

Santa Fe Institute

  • Years active: 1984 — Present
  • Description: A research institute dedicated to the study of complex systems through interdisciplinary collaboration.
  • Problem Addressed: Responded to the need for a space where researchers could tackle complex problems beyond traditional academic boundaries.
  • Impact: Advanced complexity science, influencing economics, biology, computer science, and fostering innovative research approaches.

Burning Man

  • Years Active: 1986 – Present
  • Description: An annual event creating a temporary city focused on art, self-expression, and community.
  • Problem Addressed: Responded to a yearning for radical self-expression and community outside consumerist society.
  • Attendance: Grown from 20 participants to around 80,000.
  • Impact: Influenced contemporary art, community building, and the concept of participatory culture.

Devcon

The annual Ethereum developer conference. Functions as a gravity well for the pop-up ecosystem — villages frequently cluster around it geographically and temporally.

Zuzalu

The first contemporary pop up city experiment in Montenegro, March 25-May 25, 2023. Kicked off the subsequent pop-up village trend sometimes called the "ZuVillage" movement.

ZuConnect

Second major Zuzalu popup, Istanbul, Oct–Nov 2023. ~300 residents, held immediately before DevConnect.

Ecosystem

Current Status

Notable Events ^2^

ShanHaiWoo

MuChiangMai

Zuconnect

Wamotopia

Vitalia

Other Notable Pop-up Villages

zuvillage_web-network-map.jpeg pop_up_cities_map_dec_2024.jpg map of pop up cities by @jakobbb in the Pop Up Commons telegram.

Sources

  1. Popup City Devcon7 Talk
  2. https://www.nsforum.net/posts/a-recap-of-zuzalu-inspired-pop-up-cities

Sections

Pages

Index
Purpose
History
- Lineage
- Devcon
- Zuzalu
- ZuConnect
Ecosystem
- Current Status
Sources