The deeper our sense of community, the better positioned we are to take on change, says Scott Doyon, but the leisurely lull of the suburbs may have killed our ability to work together.
Scott Doyon suggests how to reconnect communities:
"If there's one thing the 20th century gave us, it's the luxury of not needing each other. It so defines our culture that it's physically embodied in our sprawling, disconnected landscapes."
Instead of our former "nation of associations" we've started "bowling alone." And that's a problem, he says:
"Given the less-than-desirable state of our economy and the national financial obligations that go with it, common sense would dictate that we invest in the strength of our community ties as a reasonable tool for reducing demands on the Fed. Yet, curiously, those most concerned with whittling down the size of government are more often than not the same ones opposing the local community visioning and smart growth planning efforts necessary to restore the social fabric that makes such reductions possible."
Thanks to Hazel Borys
FULL STORY: Resiliency: It’s who ya know.
Building Resilience Through Reconnected Communities
What has the United States lost in its journey from a nation of communities to a nation of individuals? Resilience, for one, says Scott Doyon, who suggests how we can utilize community design and planning processes to regrow social ties.
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The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
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