I liked the historical recreation of city government in renaissance
Florence, Italy -- the names of all eligible voters were put on slips,
and new council members were drawn every two months. The system forced
everyone to stay current on local issues, so they would be prepared to
govern, and it assured civility, because people were nice to their
representatives, because they knew they might be next.
The episode on the Missoula carousel was interesting but brief. I wonder
what types of projects in Pullman-Moscow might have a similar unifying
effect. The Paradise Creek clean-up and now the creek restoration involve
many volunteers, but they attract mostly the young and people willing to
get their hands dirty. Habitat for Humanity's work on building affordable
housing involves others. What ideas do visionaries have for other
types of projects to bring people together for a common cause?