DIY sustainability: an emerging trend from recession?

Will we see a renaissance of local production and manufacturing in the developed world? They say that what California does, the rest of the world follows: think hippies, aerobics, personal computers and social networking. The tech-hunters like to follow Japanese school children to see what the future holds; I like to see what the Californians are up to.

In San Francisco recently, I saw strong signals that a rebirth of local manufacturing might be taking place. It's one of the trends that we at Forum for the Future have identified in our futures work of recent years: the revival of localism and the growth of a DIY ethic in consumption and production. Across the city there are the first signs of localism in action; from the farmers' market at Ferry Plaza, to the Maker Faire weekend jamborees and the innumerable cafes and restaurants serving local produce.

Image courtesy of Noisebridge via Flickr

This trend is tech-enabled, making full use of the web and innovations like 3D printing; it is supported by the strong environmental culture in the city, which is arguably America's greenest; but it is also fuelled by the ongoing economic difficulties and a desire to preserve American jobs.

Textile designer Hiroko Kurihara, who set up 25th Street Collective – a local business incubator, winery and artisan sewing collective in Oakland – told me: "The recession forced us to rethink what we really need to buy and how long it will last; how we best use something, extend its life, and what to do with it afterwards. Making goods locally and sustainably has to be the answer."

One of the most exciting manifestations of this DIY ethic are the "hackerspaces" that have sprung up around the city, with names like HackerDojo, Noisebridge and Ace Monster Toys.

I visited Techshop, a membership-based, do-it-yourself workshop which gives its users access to a-quarter-of-a-million dollars' worth of high-quality machines, tools, and software. It trains members how to use things like welding, laser cutters and industrial sewing machines, and then they are free to play with the kit, build prototypes and even start small-scale manufacturing.

Up the road in the Mission neighbourhood, the Noisebridge hackerspace is a far messier affair. Founded as an anarchist collective, it is piled high with found junk, which its members remake into all sorts of amazing objects. I watched Andrew Rutter – a Brit – using a 3D printer to meticulously print out the bio-plastic parts for another 3D printer. He told me he was "pursuing the idea of self-replicating machines".

There's an umbrella organisation supporting this new trend. SF Made is a not-for-profit supporting a vibrant manufacturing sector in San Francisco. As well as encouraging entrepreneurship and creating jobs in low income areas, SF Made also argues for the local infrastructure – from access to capital to industrial land use policy – required to support a renaissance in the local manufacturing sector.

This local producer movement is proving a powerful spur for innovation, and it's no surprise that green-leaning companies based in the area, like Levi's and Autodesk, are providing kit and funding. But is it necessarily good for the planet? While some spaces are clearly run on sustainable lines, others have a powertool-wielding-boysfeel, and a fascination with rockets and robots. And local is not necessarily more efficient in environmental terms. Much as I'm a fan of decentralised production, it makes sense to generate energy where the wind blows or grow food in things called fields.

What I did like was the sense of empowerment generated from these San Francisco initiatives. Rather than complain about the recession, people were getting stuck in to their own start-ups. And instead of being passive consumers, people were making their own stuff, experimenting and innovating in ways that clearly gave them immense personal satisfaction.

This blog was originally published by the Guardian on Friday 17th Feb 2012