The Worn Path — Crash Course
A structured curriculum for understanding and articulating the Worn Path project. The capstone is a first draft of the manifesto.
What This Is
This is a self-paced crash course that synthesizes the vault’s research into a learning sequence. Each module builds on the previous ones. The goal isn’t to replace reading — it’s to give you the framework that makes reading (and building) more productive.
Every module does three things:
- Teaches the concepts — synthesized from multiple sources, connected to each other
- Connects to the project — shows how the ideas map onto Wellspring’s specific design
- Produces a writing artifact — a section of the manifesto, drafted rough, refined in Module 6
Module Sequence
| Module | Title | What It Does | Writing Artifact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Module 1 — The Two Problems | The Two Problems | The diagnosis: why housing is broken, why community is broken, why they’re the same problem | The problem statement |
| Module 2 | The Philosophical Backbone | The analytical framework: anarchism, social ecology, gift economy, usufruct, the irreducible minimum, mutual aid, desire paths | The “why it matters” section |
| Module 3 | What Has Been Tried | Failures and successes: intentional communities, affordable housing programs, Ostrom’s commons | The “what we learned” section |
| Module 4 | The Instruments | CLT, LEHC, ground lease, cooperative governance — the philosophy made structural | The “how it works” section |
| Module 5 | The Village | Physical design, social infrastructure, the library economy, heritage library — the philosophy made spatial | The “what it feels like” section |
| Module 6 | The Manifesto | Assemble, find the voice, draft The Worn Path | The manifesto, first draft |
How Reading Fits In
Each module has a targeted reading list — 3 to 5 books, prioritized. The module itself gives you enough to work with if you haven’t read them. Reading enriches; it doesn’t gate. The Master Reading List remains in the vault as a comprehensive reference.
How to Work Through It
One module per conversation is the expected pace. Read the module, sit with it, push back on what doesn’t land, do the writing exercise. We discuss, refine, and move on. Six conversations to a manifesto draft.