Fostering Community. Part 1 - Built Environment & Community



Out in the spring sun:
Me (approx. age 5) with
life-long friend & neighbour, Dean.



In my last post “Reflections on Community” I spoke about the way in which the neighbourhood I grew up in has changed over the years.

Perhaps the warmth associated with my childhood recollections is nostalgia at work. However, given the recent focus that has been placed by  numerous public agencies and organizations on the creation and revival of healthy, livable and sustainable communities, I am inclined to think that my observation may be accurate.

There has been a change.

As a society, it seems that we are beginning to realize that some of the decisions and practices of the past few decades have perhaps led us away from a place of sustainable well-being  and happiness. (For more information about the concept of sustainable happiness click here)

Best Practices in Neighbourhood Design

Over the past years, best practices have begun to surface in relation to neighbourhood design (Example: LEED-ND). In reviewing some of the features of such model neighbourhoods, I find myself reflecting on  the major changes that have occurred over time to the community where I was raised:

• Local amenities such as the local playground, basketball court & shade trees were removed.
• The local pharmacy & grocery store were relocated to a large commercial mall several blocks away.
• A highway was constructed behind our property. On ramps/entrances cut our major east/west arterial road into short sections with limited connectivity.
• The nearby open space, farmed and forested areas have been replaced by suburban residential development.
• There are fewer families living in the condominium complex.

My intuition tells me that there is a relationship between these changes and the altered nature of that community. I went looking for some research to substantiate this intuitive knowledge and found a nifty little research paper called ‘Social Capital and the Built Environment: The Importance of Walkable Neighbourhoods’. In this study,  Dr. Kevin Leyden carried out research to examine whether the built environment (i.e., the way we design and build our communities and neighborhoods) affects the degree to which people are involved in their communities and with each other.

The researcher’s premise was that some neighborhood designs enable or encourage social ties or community connections, whereas others do not.

Through his research, Dr. Leyden found that:

‘persons living in walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods have higher levels of social capital compared with those living in car-oriented suburbs. Respondents living in walkable neighborhoods were more likely to know their neighbors, participate politically, trust others, and be socially engaged.’

Dr. Leyden noted that :‘Spontaneous “bumping into” neighbors, brief (seemingly trivial) conversations, or just waving hello can help to encourage a sense of trust and a sense of connection between people and the places they live. These casual contacts can occur at neighborhood corner shops, at local parks, or on the sidewalk. To many residents, such contacts breed a sense of familiarity and predictability that most people find comforting.’

 

Change the Environment: Change the Community 

In light of Dr. Leyden’s findings, it is reasonable to assume that the changes my neighbourhood underwent have had an impact on the nature of the community. We removed the on-site recreational amenities and nearby service uses such as the pharmacy & grocery store meaning that  not only do residents have fewer opportunities for casual contact and chance interactions but now they must get into their vehicles and drive several city blocks in order to meet basic household needs.

Also, there are fewer families within the condominium. This is perhaps due to broader demographic change or perhaps due to the lack of recreational amenity to draw in young families  but in either case - and as fellow parents will recognize - this means that there are fewer children to act as ‘social lubricant’ between the adults.

How interesting to be able to apply the findings of this study to explain a change I've observed in my own life. I am inspired. This study (and it is in good company) indicates there is a link between the structure of our environment and the community that develops within it, because of it, or in spite of it. And in knowing this, I can't help but think of what a powerful opportunity arises for us to embrace best practices in neighbourhood design and in turn, foster the development of communities that feel like home.  

Coming Soon: ‘Fostering Community. Part 2 – Official Plans & Community’  

For Reference:

Leyden, Kevin M. Social Capital and the Built Environment: The Importance of Walkable Neighborhoods . Journal of Public Health. 2003 September; 93(9): 1546–1551. Available online: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1448008/ [Last accessed June 1st, 2012)

Putnam (2000)  Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster; 2000.

Reflections on Community

The oft referenced ‘Wikipedia’ offers the following definition of community:

“A group of interacting people, living in some proximity (i.e., in space, time, or relationship). Community usually refers to a social unit larger than a household that shares common values and has social cohesion.”

Experiences of Community

As I’ve mentioned previously on this blog, I grew up in Hamilton within a townhouse condominium complex at the (then) fringe of the urban area. I have incredibly fond memories of my time there.

In my early years, there were many children of similar age living in our complex and we made full daily use of the basketball court and playground equipment on-site as well as the nearby meadow, forest stands and farmer’s fields.  Our parents took turns hosting the kiddie pool in their yard (my mom always added bubbles) and there were frequent community yard sales, BBQ’s and evening drinks in the common areas on summer weekends. If I fell and scraped my knee, I could go to almost any door for comfort and a band-aid. If a child were behaving poorly, any one of the adults nearby felt comfortable in providing some direction. Doors were generally unlocked and with our closest neighbours there was a knock, holler and enter policy in effect. If a neighbour were ill, there was someone to water their flowers or grab a few things for them at the store. These experiences have shaped my understanding of ‘community’.

Sadly, over the years the condo complex has seen some significant changes. The basketball net was removed as a result of complaints about the noise of the bouncing ball; the playground equipment was taken out shortly afterwards due to concerns about injury and liability; and, the beautiful shade trees in the common area were removed due to interference of their roots with underground utilities. Adding injury to insult, a few years later, the local pharmacy & grocery store were converted to offices when the large corporations that owned them decided to merge their neighbourhood stores into mega-stores in a new commercial mall several city blocks away.

Today, a handful of the same residents remain and it’s always nice to catch up and see some friendly faces – but when I return to the place it feels very different. You see, the people aren’t outside. There are no kids running amok. There are no parents hustling down the sidewalk to get to the grocery store with kids in tow.  People seem to go from their car to their door and back out again.  

Community in Meaford

In honesty, I think that one of the reasons why I moved to, and have remained in Meaford is that I have found a similar sense of community here. There is a warmth about this place.  At the coffee shop, they know my name and my favourite treat. My daughter is on a first name (and hug-giving) basis with the staff at our downtown grocery store and when you walk down the street, people smile and say hello.

I’ve recently been trying to convince some family members to move to the area from the city and in listing our local services and attributes I realize that  one of the most important assets, our civic identity and social cohesion, is exactly what is hardest to put down on paper. How do you label, list or weigh the joy on your three year-olds face when they realize that an unknown passer-by has dressed the naked snowman they built the day before?

Given my appreciation of this incredible asset, I am even more so appreciative of my role with the Municipality. Our Official Plan identifies that

“ it is the intent of this (Official) Plan, to provide Council with the tools to consider and mitigate the impacts of change on the qualities that make the Municipality a desirable place to live.”

Most certainly ‘community’ is one such quality - one that I feel privileged to have an opportunity to foster through my work.