● WHAT IF we evict the racecourse and grow food on the Knavesmire? ● WHAT IF 50% of business rates went to environmental projects? ● WHAT IF all the new development sites in York had health at the centre? ● WHAT IF there were imagination lessons? Classrooms moved outdoors? Maths was taught outside? ● WHAT IF housing was focussed on the needs of local residents and prioritised people on waiting lists not air bnb & tourism? ● WHAT IF all public transport was free & for everyone? ● WHAT IF all new houses were built of local hay & straw & maize ; we had a training centre? ● WHAT IF capitalism went away? ● WHAT IF? All children in York could learn to swim in the River Ouse? ● WHAT IF school students chose, grew and made school dinners? ● WHAT IF each neighbourhood had a pickle shed for sharing produce? ● WHAT IF Fridays were dedicated to community action & collaboration? ● WHAT IF everything was designed for pedestrians and cyclists to coexist safely.? ● WHAT IF kids were trusted to be more independent? It was safe enough for kids to be independent? ● WHAT IF town planning was inclusive and facilitated communities to co-design infrastructure that supports community & well-being, supported by programmes of small grants? ● WHAT IF all businesses contributed a volunteer day to help people & plants? ● WHAT IF our democracy was more genuinely representative & based on the common good? ● WHAT IF food insecurity in York could be solved? ● WHAT IF what if we built the city around healthy living? Free accessible fitness spaces in public, encourage ageing? ● WHAT IF new housing was built from sustainable local materials? ● WHAT IF cars were reused to make better bikes and electricity instead of using concrete for roads and cars? ● WHAT IF we used the river for swimming & the water was fresh & clean? The companies sorted the sewage? ● WHAT IF york governance was polycentric & devolved, focussed on long-term thinking (future generations) & embedded rights & non-humans? ● WHAT IF we put down our phones & went into nature? ● WHAT IF all homes have solar panels/renewable power. Teach how to build them? ● WHAT IF homes were not just bricks? ● WHAT IF 10,000 trees were planted in York every year? ● WHAT IF there were cooking classes on how to eat with the seasons? ● WHAT IF if York had a song of celebration that bridged all territories? ● WHAT IF we redesigned our neighbourhoods to replace street parking with community gardens and encouraged shared eating, street parties & communal food? ● WHAT IF housing was warm enough in winter and cool enough in summer? ● WHAT IF what if people brought back herb gardens to make their own medicines? ● WHAT IF what if the rivers were cleaned by removing water and sustainably cleaning it so people could swim in it and have access to more water? ● WHAT IF there were e-nature bridges & sky pathways over main roads? for pedestrian use? ● WHAT IF we could kayak to work? ● WHAT IF we had a responsible anchor institution infrastructure? ● WHAT IF we had a community owned transport network (community wealth fund)? ● WHAT IF we removed paving slabs & planted wellbeing gardens? ● WHAT IF people could live in houses that were also sculptures? ● WHAT IF community cooking classes could be held in schools/community areas and could be supplied by community/local gardens. Any waste could be produced into meals and given to community suppers? ● WHAT IF we create more community gardens & orchards - schools grow food - living walls on schools & offices (salads + herbs). Ensure more food used in the city is grown here? ● WHAT IF bills were not expensive? ● WHAT IF children off school with anxiety dropped to zero? ● WHAT IF more people lived in treehouses than houses on the ground? ● WHAT IF what if all housing was in community (crossed out) ownership? ● WHAT IF the River Ouse had River Rights & was respected as a living entity. Kept clean enough to swim to work.? ● WHAT IF all Foundations devolved their money (spend down) in service to global climate reparations? ● WHAT IF developments included shared spaces to gather? ● WHAT IF education has been transformed to emphasise climate resilience? ● WHAT IF housing were homes for community and happiness? What if housing was less expensive to make it more affordable for everyone? ● WHAT IF cars were not driven but used as greenhouses.? ● WHAT IF we abolished political parties ● WHAT IF York had a 4 day working week and there were ways to connect with nature on the 5th day? ● WHAT IF there are wild camping spots around York that you can walk to from the city or get to on your bike (for free)? ● WHAT IF we had a free public transport network ? ● WHAT IF active travel became community hubs? ● WHAT IF chatty benches networks expanded to good ideas benches rather than just addressing loneliness? ● WHAT IF higher education (University of York) responded to & advanced the priorities of local sustainable business, & was co-funded by taxes on local profitable businesses? ● WHAT IF? Access to nature was prioritised e.g. school trips ● WHAT IF people know where their food has come and how it is grown? ● WHAT IF people grow some food at home, Space, knowledge, resources - a community hub for knowledge exchange & community compost? ● WHAT IF we create time at schools for learning to build haybale walls, how to grow food and cooking skills. Also solar panels for skills in the future? ● WHAT IF money wasn't a requirement to a good life? ● WHAT IF everyone in York no longer wanted social media and streaming platforms because they were having so much fun in York? ● WHAT IF York was completely pedestrianised (voluntarily)? ● WHAT IF there was increased/required business collaboration with other businesses, non-profits, universities etc? ● WHAT IF what if we had shared gardens rather than individual ones? ● WHAT IF York is a city of reparations – tax goes to provide for those in need? ● WHAT IF if bike users were incentivised & rewarded for their green choices: free train tickets?? ● WHAT IF the universities of York & York St John were owned by the people of York? ● WHAT IF culture and art explored in York in ways everyone would feel engaged or included? ● WHAT IF health opportunities were equitable & just? ● WHAT IF we continued steps to make the river clean enough for everyday transport? ● WHAT IF wellbeing services were rooted in nature? ● WHAT IF we were all taught to process and manage our emotions & knew how to heal ourselves & trauma? ● WHAT IF money was taken out of unsustainable places to pay for medicine and building hospitals? ● WHAT IF car factories produced other sustainable forms of transport so everyone keeps their jobs? ● WHAT IF children's play running around and cycling could generate energy? ● WHAT IF community buildings had indoor nature/forest inside? ● WHAT IF hospitals were nature reserves & medicine gardens? ● WHAT IF multi generational living was encouraged & the story of this was possibility? ● WHAT IF council tax paid by owner not renter? ● WHAT IF social mixing between rich and poor. Co-created art. Democracy to include representative panel of citizens? ● Local curriculum decided by learners & parents? ● WHAT IF we had outdoor classrooms? ● WHAT IF what if nature prescriptions were the norm? ● WHAT IF businesses were required to join schemes like Olio to ensure food doesn't go to waste (community kitchens to use bulk items).? ● WHAT IF we stop all car journeys within the ring road (which do not start or stop there) & provide affordable trams, buses & cargo e-bikes around the ring road in each direction, with massive e-bike hubs where needed (e.g. Park&Rides, food/shopping hubs etc)? ● WHAT IF e had a fleet of electric cargo bikes that were cheaper to hire than cars. Which are available at shopping hubs? ● WHAT IF we taught each other skills and knowledge shared? ● WHAT IF education was not just in a classroom? IF we valued people over pounds? ● WHAT IF we had as many public fiestas as they have in Spain? (Plus the council helps organise & pay for it)? ● WHAT IF in York people felt more able to "just do it"? We could develop a "just do it" spirit? ● WHAT IF York became known for empowering cohousing development. "Normal for York"? ● WHAT IF if houses were more sustainable? ● WHAT IF caring professions were paid more? ● WHAT IF businesses were bought locally, supplied locally? Encouragement to shop local. "Think global, buy local"?