We already knew Chef Mike Lata of FIG Restaurant was the epitome of Charleston inspiration, but now his message is resonating across the country. In a recent issue of Southern Living magazine, he talks about the importance of eating locally, and the fact that when he moved here ten years ago, almost no one was buying from local growers. Now, with the huge help of the Slow Food Movement making its way into Charleston, that has drastically changed.

Lata says, “Now I see it as part of the fabric of our cuisine here in Charleston. My peers inspire me daily with how they are buying locally and cooking locally.”

How can you get on board? Eat locally, frequent your farmer’s market, and get involved in your community!

See the entire article here!

Redux Art Center is teamed up with B’zar Clothing creating their own inspiration this weekend. Friday the 22^nd of August, they are hosting The Munny Show 2.0. The event was created to feature and support the diverse underground local art scene as well as give back to the local community through youth-focused art programs.

The viewing will be held at the Redux Art Center in downtown Charleston from 6 to 8 pm, followed by the auction from 8 to 9:30, then ending with a party from 9:30 to 11 pm. All proceeds will go to support the free and local education and outreach initiatives of Redux Art Center.

So, what is a Munny? Create your own! The artists involved range from graphic designers, painters, illustrators, graffiti artists, clothing and jewelry designers, as well as many other artistic voices.

Good news…we live in a walker’s paradise! Check out this website we stumbled upon…walkscore.com. Just plug in your address, and it will calculate the “walkability” of your neighborhood based on how close you are to restaurants, grocery stores, bars, coffee shops, schools, libraries, movie theaters, etc. Charleston overall scored a 94 out of 100. While that calculation was mostly based on the downtown area, check out your own neighborhood’s walkability. If it doesn’t score so high, do something to change it! You’ll help create or enhance the overall sense of community, collaboration and inspiration.

I was recently informed by another fellow Charleston Inspired supporter about the initiative of a few local heroes who are out there trying to provide post-secondary opportunities for young adults with intellectual disabilities. The organization is called College Transition Connection and what a great cause it is!

After reading some of the stats on their website, it became perfectly clear why they are focused on this effort. For example, ” research shows that students with intellectual disabilities who have some type of postsecondary experience are much more likely to obtain competitive employment, require fewer supports and earn higher wages.”

So, congrats to this organization for inspiring our next generation and providing educational opportunities for some that otherwise might have been left out.

Ever heard of Socci before? With a collective mix of skills found mostly in soccer, basketball and hackysack, Socci is now played as an individual fitness activity, social game and a competitive sport.

Without going into major details regarding how to play it (one can find that on their website, http://socci.net/), what’s interesting is that this game was created right here in the lowcountry. It’s inventor, Yani Dilling, attended Wando High School in Mount Pleasant. Now the sport is receiving national recognition and is used by Olympic Soccer Development Programs and YMCA’s across America as an ultimate soccer training game. I’m thinking if instructors picked this game up more broadly in K-12 schools across the country then students would not only gain mental and physical skills but they would also be able to compete more globally in sports like soccer… the world’s most popular sport.

Local residents and Charleston Battery players can be found playing in Marion Square downtown and on area beaches. Check it out and jump in if you ever catch them in the act. Here’s a sneak peak at the game:

Catching a flick anytime soon? Be sure to add Transformers to your list of “must sees”. Ladson-based Force Protection debuted its Buffalo Mine Protected Clearance Vehicle (MPCV) in the summer thriller as a Decepticon named Bonecrusher. Inspired by the design and reputation of the Buffalo as the most advanced mine resistant vehicle in the world, Bonecrusher is a force to be reckoned with.

Force Protection is one of several companies in the Charleston area focused on advanced security, one of the region’s five target industry clusters.

Interesting story in a recent issue of Metropolis magazine about “another” Navy Yard project…this time in Philadelphia. Like our urban redevelopment project at the old Navy Base in North Charleston, the Philadelphia project has utilized 1,000 acres (about the same size as Philly’s entire downtown) of former base property to develop a new mixed use district. The masterplan, conceived by Robert A. M. Stern Architects, calls for commercial ship building operations, a commercial center, a research park, a marina district, a historic core and the eastern end.

While a number of small and mid-size businesses set up shop at The Navy Yar (roughly 70 businesses with a total of 7,000 employees) it’s the recent move by Urban Outfitters to relocate its HQ to the site that made people stand up and take notice. The site was a perfect fit with the company’s culture and they developed an inspired campus that houses the company and sister companies (Anthropologie, Free People, etc.). Here are some pics from the article…

Very cool to see the end product take shape, and it makes the North Charleston Navy Yard/Noisette project all the more exciting as it comes to life.

Make sure you visit Charleston’s newest sustainable “community:” GoGreenCharleston.org.

It’s a great new online community for all things green and sustainable here in the Charleston area. Kudos to Chad Norman and his crew for putting together a beautiful site with great analysis and community-building features, including:

• Forums
• Google Maps Mashup of Recycling Locations in Charleston
• Frequently updated blog
• Ways to go green

Visit GoGreenCharleston.org and join the conversation.

ULI South Carolina and the Lowcountry Housing Trust are holding a half-day program called Housing for All: Developing Housing for the Workforce. The event will bring together regional developers, realtors, engineers, planners, government entities and housing providers to discuss the issues related to workforce housing, including local barriers, solutions and implementation strategies. Hear from local and national developers, planners and experts about the latest trends in developing housing for the workforce!

The $25 registration fee includes hot breakfast and resource materials. Visit the ULI website to register online and to get more information. The deadline for online registration is Friday, May 18.

Date: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Time: 7:30 am- 11:00 am
Location: 10 Storehouse Row (2120 Noisette Blvd) North Charleston

Here’s something we hope to replicate in Charleston…perhaps for a slightly different purpose. Since 2003, thousands have taken part in the StoryCorps oral history project, describing their lives and history. StoryCorps opened its first StoryBooth, a freestanding soundproof recording studio, in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal in October 2003 and in June 2005 opened its second StoryBooth at the site of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. Over the course of the ten-year project, StoryCorps plans to open StoryBooths both mobile and stationary across the country.

The mobile booths are particularly cool….a customized Airstream trailer that provides a sound proof recording studio. Whether we can swing a trailer or not we’d like to set up a mobile video booth to capture residents opinions on GetInspired Charleston, what makes this region special to them, what we should be doing in the future, etc. Sort of a ground up visioning project for our community. Stay tuned, and shout if you have any ideas or resources.

Here’s another good example…this time from Portland, OR where the Mayor’s office developed a “Vision Vessel” to encourage residents to participate in the shaping of their city….as covered by Metropolis magazine.