2007-07-21 Unconference Schedule - Reconsidering Neighborhoods

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Reconsidering Neighborhoods

Summary

Neighborhoods have moved away from being a place where people lived where they worked to being a place intentionally removed from commercial activity. Creating sustainable neighborhoods relies on being able to provide the infrastructure and the resources in tandem.

Actions

Calls to Action:

Notes

  • Neighborhood association - not always a constructive force; developed to oppose things
  • Aging population (driving everywhere)
  • Historical notions of neighborhood is gone
    • don't want businesses near where they live
    • fear traffic
  • Resources (groceries) are too far and not walkable distances or topology
  • suburb mentality:
    • when one gets a certain amount of $$, you don't live over your business anymore
    • class distinctions form around those without means to escape city
    • migration is enabled by transportation
  • having business in a local neighborhood depends on what kind of business
    • Hirons may not equal sustainability, but groceries likely would
    • mindset is anti-business ... the first big jump needed is accepting businesses at all
    • businesses need to be personal, accessible
  • it is more than just putting a business in the neighborhood ... infrastructure is needed
    • for example: a bridge was built to a store that wound up closing
  • Developers need to be very conscious of what kind of businesses are going to be in their spaces
  • Neighborhood stores are a remnant of an older age when this was common
    • car brings people everywhere

What things do people fear about bringing resources to a local neighborhood?

    • neighbor as business - they won't bond with citizens, gone at night, absentee ownership
    • people like their anonymity
  • are we going to be proactive in our development or just market driven?
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