For too long couches have been given a bad name.  Couch potato.  “You’re sleeping on the couch tonight, mister.”  480-Pound Woman Dies After Six Years On Couch.

Can’t a sofa catch a break?

Allow me to reprieve this everyday household item from the abyss of the unappreciated.  Because the average couch is making waves worldwide, having now become an opportunity for economic development here in Savannah and in communities around the globe.

The phenomenon is called “couchsurfing.”  Anyone who went to a large state university like I did is familiar with the concept.  In essence, it is an extended stay by someone (familiar or not) who sleeps on the couch.  At worst it is associated with vagrancy or drunken youth.   At best it is redefining travel and lodging the world over.

From the wreckage of the couchsurfing of old emerged the CouchSurfing Project, a free, Internet-based, international hospitality service that, evidently, is currently the world’s largest hospitality exchange network. Launched in 2004, the site now boasts more than 827,000 members in 229 countries and territories. And it may well rank as the most visited hospitality service on the Internet, averaging more than 30 million daily page views in July 2008.

Last night was a whirlwind of fun that left me completely breathless.  At the last minute, Brynn asked me to serve as her proxy and accompany Fitz for an evening at the Charles Morris Center to watch some of Savannah’s locally famous twist, twirl and tango across the dance floor.  And it was all for a good cause.

Local organization Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), took it to another level this year with Savannah’s first ever “Dancing with Savannah Stars.” A spin-off of the national phenomenon that is ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” CASA turned the Savannah fundraising paradigm on its head, approaching the often arduous task of asking for money from a different, fresher and decidedly more “active” perspective.

(having trouble viewing? Try the full sized slideshow.)

Eight recognizable Savannahians put their bodies to the test and their dignity on the line to raise money for children who need it most.  The line up was a start-studed one to be sure, including:

• Ice cream baron and blockbuster movie producer Stratton Leopold;
• CASA VP, Jeanne Seaver;
• SunTrust Savannah CEO, Kay Ford;
• GPA External Affairs Manager, Jamie McCurry;
• SCMPD Chief, Michael Berkow;

The United Way of the Coastal Empire faces a tough prospect this week: that for the first time in memory they may not reach their Campaign goal.

It’s not entirely surprising considering the economy’s in the toilet and people and businesses are cautious of what’s to come. But it starts to get kinda scary when you think about what this annual campaign provides for; the United Way Campaign helps support 37 health and human service agencies that provide 90 programs and services to individuals and families in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham and Liberty counties. All proceeds from the $8,288,888 goal benefit the United Way of the Coastal Empire, whose mission is “To improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of our community.”

The 2008 Campaigns follows several very successful years of memorable Campaign themes, including “The Wizard of Oz” in 2006 and “Superman: the Man of Steel” in 2007. This year, with the days dwindling on the “Team United” NASCAR theme, the Campaign still needs to pick up speed. Official reports from October 15th proclaim 43% of the goal having been met. Signs about town point to about 65% today.

With the time- and attention-monopolizing presidential elections behind us, our thoughts can return to life at home.  And to another important deadline: November 15th.

(Shout out to our good friend Dr. T Gongaware for passing along the info on this awesome opportunity.)  Several Savannah organizations, including the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC), Downtown Neighborhood Association, Historic Savannah Foundation, Savannah Development and Renewal Authority, Savannah Tree Foundation and the Trustees’ Garden Club, have arranged a 2009 lecture visit by Fred Kent. Kent, a leading authority on revitalizing city spaces and one of the foremost thinkers in livability, smart growth and the future of the city, is the founder and president of Project for Public Spaces.  And he follows a list of prolific “idea men” who have come to town, including Richard Florida and Charles Landry.

Project for Public Spaces focuses on environmental design, architecture, urban planning, urban geography, urban design, environmental psychology, landscape architecture, arts administration and information management. They also collaborate on projects with architecture, landscape architecture and engineering firms, graphic design firms, transportation consultants, retail planners and community organizations in the United States and abroad.