article on top 7 signs of community

[debra west]

obs is very fortunate to have people who work without recompense to manage the many issues dealt with by our oca, onw, obsid, architecture & heritage comm, obf, et al.  i came across this article and on the whole, think our obs rates high. 

the two weak points are 5 and 7: 
5.  because of narrow streets and lots of cars;  taxis and other rat runners, speeding vehicles, and very big trucks which not only damage road surfaces but cause cracks in our old buildings, and
7.  caused by the level of crime (also a problem in other suburbs, cities and south africa as a whole).

  debra


Top 7 Signs of Community: How Does Your Neighborhood Score?   From Experience Life, Intro by Jon Spayde
posted by Megan, selected from Experience Life Feb 14, 2010 11:11 am

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/top-7-signs-of-community.html

Real communities help us feel a part of something real, integrated, tangible. They deepen and refine our sense of place, bring out the best in us, and help us recognize, unquestionably, that we belong.

Community has the power to nourish and sustain us in countless ways — many of which science is only just beginning to understand. And for all these same reasons, a sense of community is something worth building, maintaining and holding dear.

Here are the top 7 signs of community. How does your neighborhood score?

1. People use sidewalks and public areas for meeting, conversation and play.

2. Parks are not just pristine green spaces to be admired, but places for use and enjoyment.

3. Pleasant and welcoming community gathering places (coffee shops, plazas) abound.

4. Local businesses, like independent bookstores and restaurants, support community life with bulletin boards, meeting space for local clubs, etc.

5. Auto traffic is not allowed to dominate the neighborhood; traffic-calming devices like speed bumps are in place where needed.

6. Non-elite arts institutions such as community bands, galleries and choirs thrive.

7. There’s ethnic, racial and generational diversity, and low levels of frenzy, anxiety, anger and fear.

Experience Life magazine is an award-winning health and fitness publication that aims to empower people to live their best, most authentic lives, and challenges the conventions of hype, gimmicks and superficiality in favor of a discerning, whole-person perspective. Visit www.experiencelifemag.com to learn more and to sign up for the Experience Life newsletter, or to subscribe to the print or digital version.