Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 by
Michael •
Good to read this posting today on my own neighborhood’s Front Porch Forum by Carolyn…
I had the glorious pleasure of listening to Bill McKibben speak this week at an AIA meeting. He is the guru on global warming, and has chosen to live in Vermont, too!
While he was answering questions about great things happening, he said that the Front Porch Forum was just the absolute best thing to happen, anywhere.
That it brought people back together, communicating with each other, in a terrific way. The very best way. And that most important thing to do is to get communication and neighborhoods back together, instead of the “dream house” where everyone lives in their own isolated internet cubby, and parents have dual bedrooms, and live miles from anyone.
I can only say ditto to this. Having lived here for many years, in this neighborhood, I knew a few people who had dogs, or lived next door. Now I feel connected to the entire neighborhood and I know almost everyone on my street, and neighboring streets. And this place really really feels like my home in capitol letters. (And yes, I was born in Kansas).
And this way, not only is there better communication, there will be less driving, more car pooling, more local jobs, …. more local shopping.
Bill’s most recent book, Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future, is a fascinating read.