Issue 019: The Neighborhoods Issue

Who we are is defined, maybe more than we care to admit, by where we live. The emotional attachments we feel to our neighborhoods are understandable: Where a person chooses to put down roots should say a lot about them.

But in the past few generations, that has become less true. For all its benefits, globalization has a cost: a uniformity that is antithetical to what makes our neighborhoods great. If every place looks the same, there isn’t much point in choosing one over another. It seems that while we were becoming citizens of the world, we forgot to be citizens of where we live.

But that need not be the case. The following pages show that we can fight homogeneity and think of creative ways to preserve or recapture our unique communities. If you find the material in this issue enlightening, consider handing it off to the person on the other side of the street, fence, or hallway. After all, good neighborhoods start with good neighbors.

Includes a pull-out door knob hanger that will help connect you to your neighbors as well as 16 pages of tips and tricks to improve your 'hood.