Using S.L.O.W. Tech to Build Community
The concept of S.L.O.W. Tech came out of my experience creating Community Renaissance Market (CRM), a community-based micro-incubator in a former grocery store in South Austin.
Back in 2010, I watched an interview with the editor of the Austin Business Journal in which he dismissed the value of the CRM concept as ‘low tech’ and, therefore, not important to the future of Austin as it was envisioned by the people with money & power.
At first I was angry, but then I was inspired to create S.L.O.W. Tech: Sustainable Local Organic Work + Technology = inclusive sustainable community which is only now becoming clear to folks as the missing piece. Ultimately, S.L.O.W. Tech is about using technology to improve the human experience, not distract from it.
As I envision it, the purpose of the S.L.O.W. Tech™ model is to add specific technology to no or low tech community-based culturally-rooted human-scale businesses to better equip them for sustainability. In this model, businesses are designed to reflect and meet the local community needs.
I began the trademark process back in 2011, got it finalized in 2015 and look forward to it growing even bigger as we create projects in San Elizario, San Marcos, Houston and beyond with the purpose of demonstrating the power and sustainability of the community-based economic opportunity. This can be activated in communities as a ‘Community Maker Center’ with elements that reflect the existing businesses, culture and values of the community. It could be a new build or repurpose an existing building.
Additions: distributed manufacturing (e.g., 3D Printing, wearables, etc.) and distributed energy models (solar, wind, biomass, etc.), and a way for technology companies to engage with community and support local ventures.
At long last, it’s time for S.L.O.W. Tech.
