For centuries people have migrated to cities to find community; but for the last several decades in North America we have abandoned many of our common spaces - parks and public squares - leaving them to drug dealers and the desperate.
But all it takes is a few brave souls who refuse to give up on community to inspire their neighbors to take back public spaces. In Oakland, they've built a community garden in Lillie Lucket's backyard; and in Toronto's West Side the neighbors fixed up a community center in a big downtown recreational park and began a whole series of programs run by a wide range of community groups.
Other titles in the series are:
Community Animals - Leading thinkers explore community, work, time, values, and change.
Virtually Intentional - Finding community in the cloister, a commune, and in cyberspace.
Community by Design - Good design of houses and neighborhoods builds community.
Making Shelter - My Home with Others - Co-ops and co-housing provide new models for building community.
Ageing with Community - The search for community and independence as we grow old.
The Boundaries of Change - Cities cope with changing demographics.
Finding Us and Them - Physically and mentally challenged people find community.
On the Road - RV owners leave their home towns and build their own communities.
Maps with Teeth - Bioregional mapping by locals communicates a sense of place and regional identity.
