[BCN] Requesting info for a co-op mapping project

[matt at bostoncoop.net]

Hi, friends.  I sent this out about a week ago, and since then, I've heard
from about half a dozen co-ops.  This is great, but I know that there are
many others out there.  Please get back to me--it only takes a minute, and
it will allow me to create a resource that will hopefully be of use--or at
least of interest--to all Boston co-opers.

If you're interested, all I need is:

--the address of your co-op,
--how long it's existed in that location, and
--whether it's owned or rented (and if it's owned, I'd like to know if
it's owned collectively, but a trust, or by one or two co-op members).

Details are below.  Thanks!

-matt

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Request for quick info to support all Boston co-ops
From:    "Matt Borus" <matt at whitehail.bostoncoop.net>
Date:    Tue, June 26, 2007 5:30 pm
To:      bcn at lists.bostoncoop.net
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi, friends.  My name is Matt Borus, and I know a handful of you
personally (and more of you over e-mail) from my days living inin
Millstone and Seed Pod co-ops in the Boston area.  Since last Fall, I've
been living in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where I'm in graduate school.  But I
miss those of you I know, as well as the Boston co-op movement in general.

So I'd like your quick help in a project that could be useful--or at the
very least interesting--to Boston co-ops.

I'm in the process of learning Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
software, which is used for mapping.  You can use ti for all sorts of
things--mapping where wealth and poverty are concentrated, visually
representing the racial makeup of particular neighborhoods, examining
where pollutants are concentrated, etc.  I need to practice the software,
and I'd like to do it by mapping out Boston co-ops.

Why?  Along with general curiosity, I want to test out a few hypotheses.
I have the impression that there are three main geographic clumps of
co-ops in the Boston area--one in Cambreidge/Somerville, one in
Dorchester, and one in JP.  I also suspect that those in JP are almost all
rented, due to the high cost, those in Dorchester, which are more
affordable, are generally owned, and those in Camberville are a mix, with
the older ones being owned and the newer ones being rented.

I don't know if these hypotheses have any validity.  But if you all send
me a bit of information, I can get a better picture of the data.  And then
I'll be able to pract5ice the software, and you'll all get an interesting
map of area co-ops which I'll send to whomevver gives me data.

If you're interested, all I need is:

--the address of your co-op,
--how long it's existed in that location, and
--whether it's owned or rented (and if it's owned, I'd like to know if
it's owned collectively or by one or two co-op members).

If you send me the data, you're agreeing to let me put your co-op on the
map, which I will share with others who send me data.  But I won't use any
individual names.  And since most co-ops here have already shared their
localtions with housemate wanted ads and such, I don't think that there's
much confidentiality concern!  Let me know if you have questions, though.

Thanks a lot.  I hope to hear from you!  If only a few co-ops reply, this
won't be of much use, but if a good number do, it may be really
interesting.

-matt

"One day a leopard stalked into the synagogue, roaring and lashing its
tail. Three weeks later, it had become part of the liturgy."  -Franz Kafka



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