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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Creative Provinces: A New World of Enchanting and Empowered Communities by Valerie Ann Larson Haynes introduces the concept of Creative Provinces. These are self-sustaining communities united by shared visions. These provinces allow individuals to retain property ownership while linking their resources voluntarily, offering flexibility for members to leave if their vision shifts. Each province is centered around a Primary Vision, with supporting visions that shape its environment, culture, and industries. Haynes speaks on ecological sustainability, historical preservation, and creative expression. Haynes specifically describes four types of provinces: transportation, industry, environment, and culture. Governance models are diverse, ranging from monarchies to barter economies, underpinned by principles of transparency and accountability. Creative Provinces are designed to complement sovereign states, promoting localized, creative communities, mixing artistry with practical, collaborative community-building.
In Creative Provinces, Valerie Ann Larson Haynes offers a thorough and well-structured blueprint for establishing unique, sustainable communities grounded in heritage and innovation. The book's strength lies in its comprehensive framework, with Haynes giving a near-encyclopedic wealth of ideas for creating the provinces. Haynes has a very simple and straightforward writing style that is clear and accessible, making some of the more complicated concepts easy to digest. Implementing the ideas would require considerable resources and commitment, and while the vision of a Creative Province is pretty exciting, the realistic organizing and maintaining of such a community, ranging from infrastructure to cultural cohesion, demand careful planning and long-term dedication. I would love to see this implemented on a smaller scale and see it slowly spread. Overall, I think that Haynes has done almost all of the preliminary heavy lifting in this thoughtful and innovative guide. Very highly recommended.