DC, They Could Never Unplug You

Where Communities Outshine the Chaos with Sustainability and Resilience

Lavala Harris

and

Shi

Sep 02, 2025

Issue #24| September 2025

Background text adapted from Free DC Project. Much love to their movement

It’s now September 2, and we’re casually walking past National Guard carrying guns on our way to happy hour. Let that marinate—

Listening to Trump talk about DC for the past few weeks, you’d think the city is an ugly, crumbling dystopia full of crime, potholes, and dirty parks.

At solarpunk dc, we don’t usually lead with resentment or fury. But calling out the lies matters because that’s not the DC I know.

The DC I know is stubbornly alive, relentlessly creative, and quietly creating the future right in front of him.

You see it in the way we move. Trails and bike lanes, free cargo bikes and e-scooter shares. Mobility experiments that feel like living inside a sci-fi movie where the good guys win. Just ask Lavala (co-author) about his new Segway Xyber e-bike, which gives him 112 miles of freedom to roam the city.

You taste it at farmers markets. Grabbing some local honey or peaches from the Alexandria farms. You hear it in go-go music that refuses to fade, spilling over community gardens that double as climate resilience and education hubs.

I’ve worked, played, volunteered, and lived in the DC area for ten years. And while I’m not from here, I’m proud to be here.

We are a test kitchen for a world lead by human connection instead of corporate extraction. I mean, what do you expect when the city attracts people who dreamt about making a difference in big way, and doing so in the public and non-profit sectors. We practice future-ready transit when we take the Metro instead of sitting in traffic, or when a block party turns into an unplanned car-free zone.

DC is resourceful: The circular economy was never a fad here. We got repair and mend workshops, and free little libraries. DC is not only the political capital but also the thrifting capital of the USA, no cap (and no pun intended).

At the ANC meetings, neighbors hash out the future of our blocks without asking permission from faceless shareholders. We fight for a just energy transition not only in policy memos but in solar co-ops, worker-owned clean energy firms, and union-led green jobs. And our green spaces are more than picnic spots. They are where resistance gets planned, mutual aid is distributed, our leaders are educated, and freedom is defended.

DC is solarpunk because we know that resisting authoritarianism isn’t just about holding a protest sign. It is about making neighborhoods so vibrant, connected, and self-sufficient that the extractive systems a fascist government represents cannot take root here. Yes, our summers are sticky, our buses sometimes run late, and the Trader Joe’s line can feel like a civil defense drill (always moves so faster than you think though 🤣). But we have what a despot fears most. A city full of people who know each other, show up for each other, and keep imagining and driving towards futures worth fighting for.

You simply cannot dim DC, even if you tried.

—Shi 🌾

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solarpunk dc x Big Planet Comics

One thing we love about solarpunk is that the main character isn’t some billionaire in a cape named Bruce Wayne; there’s no Superman either. Community is the real protagonist.

During our latest event at Big Planet Comics, we tapped into that collective energy. Artists, activists and comic creators gathered on U Street to envision a future where our cities are green with lots of fresh food resources. The conversation paired live illustration with a curated starter kit of graphic novels and comics that imagine futures where community is the focus, sustainable progress is the norm, and technology and nature can symbiotically thrive.

Attendees mingled over refreshments, watched local artists bring solarpunk scenes to life, and explored the five pillars of solarpunk: community‑driven governance, just energy transition, future‑ready transit, circular economies, thriving green spaces and food sovereignty.

Check out the video recap and let us know which graphic novels and dreams you're carrying into fall.

🌿Green Spaces & Food Sovereignty: Montgomery College’s Food Forest

Two weeks ago I had the chance to wander through Montgomery College’s Food Forest, and let me tell you….it’s so promising. Rows of fruit trees, native plants, and edible landscapes stretch across campus, not just for show but with a clear mission: to fight food insecurity and reconnect students (and the larger community) with the land that feeds them.

Here’s a stat that floored me: 39% of Montgomery College students experience food insecurity. That means nearly 4 out of 10 students are figuring out how to juggle classes, jobs, and hunger. But this food forest is part of the answer. It’s designed to nourish both bodies and ecosystems, providing free, fresh food right where students live and learn.

This is what we mean when we say a city (or in this case, a college campus) should feed you as you walk through it.

How You Can Get Involved

Montgomery College is inviting volunteers to help plant, maintain, and harvest from the forest. Whether you’re pruning parent plants, weeding, or learning how to propagate species, there’s space for you here.

➡️ Sign up to volunteer: Montgomery College Food Forest Volunteer Opportunities

🍑 Why This Matters

We’ve been talking for months in solarpunk dc about fruit trees and food forests as the quiet revolution. Food forests fight food insecurity. They make campuses and cities cooler, greener, and more resilient. And they create third spaces where neighbors can connect over shade and sustenance instead of Wi-Fi passwords and overpriced lattes. Although, if you visited Crystal City Waterpark, you’d get food, nature, and free Wi-Fi… but that’s a story for another day. :). We’ve got tons of video footage from this tour. Let us know if you guys wanna see more!