Richard Florida speaks with sociologist Zachary Neal, author of The Connected City, a new book that examines the essential role that social networks play in defining community.
"Community" is a squishy topic bandied about much too casually in contemporary discourse on urbanism without adequate definition. Is community defined by arbitrary geographic or political boundaries? Is it defined by a shared belief system?
In an interview with Richard Florida, Neal touches upon some of the themes examined in his new book, The Connected City, in which he defines communities as networks, rather than places. "We often think of communities in place–based terms, like Jane Jacobs'
beloved Greenwich Village," he says. "But, whether or not a place like Greenwich
Village is really a community has more to do with the residents'
relationships with one another - their social networks – than with where
they happen to live or work."
"A neighborhood where the residents never interact is merely a place," says Neal, "but hardly a community....Communities aren't disappearing, but to find them we need to stop looking in places, and start looking in social networks."
FULL STORY: Communities Aren't Just Places, They're Social Networks
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Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
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Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
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Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
