How do you define community?
Community to me are the people around you who are there for support. These are the neighbors that help watch your kids or pets when your gone. In a community you are there for one another, in multiple ways, not just the people around you in your day to day life. Connecting with each other is another key part of a community, being able to relate to each other in some form or fashion.
Dictionary Definition: a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.
Community Articles:
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/communications/docs/CEdefn_language.pdf
I found this article to just look into more of the community aspect and found it really interesting actually. Although it is directed towards a committee I found that it pointed out some great points about community members and what is sought out by these members. I used it to enhance my opinions and understanding of the community aspect. I realize now that community is completely different than what it was many years ago for whatever reasons that has changed people it has changed, for the better and the worse.
Why has civic activity declined over the last few decades?
Civic activity has declined due to many factors such as suburbs increasing, two worker families. People became more focused on their own families and needs and finding a way to accomplish their needs only. The long drives to commute to works, takes away time that would or could be social connection to your neighbors and community members.
Why are people attracted to living in suburbs?
Cost of living is less than living in the cities. The lifestyle is a lot different than that of in a city. Less traffic, pollution, dense population, crime rates, etc. The lifestyle to attract people to live in the suburbs is different from that of those who love the city. Having the ability to have a yard to play with your kids in, being able to ride around in parks on a bike, small town stores, no big city trouble are all characteristics of living in the suburbs.
Growing up I lived in the suburbs, and I know for my family they loved it because there was not much trouble to get into and that us as kids had the ability to go out and play and not have our parents worry too much about us.
Do people rationally choose commuting time? (Weigh all the costs and benefits?)
Living outside of the cities does cost because the opportunity cost of traveling taking away from other activities that residents could be doing. Also the cost of the actual travel, this is including not only gas cost but repair for cars. Traffic is another factor that plays, is there a lot of traffic when going to or from work that impacts your other activities that could be taking place. But the cost of living is typically less expensive outside the city. If you enjoy commuting to work and taking time alone this could be a benefit to a resident. In my opinion to determine if the decision is rational it depends on the person, and what is important to them, if they don’t mind less time at home or if the cost of traveling is worth it, is what matters.
Why is development a community issue?
People are sensitive and what to be able to have an impact on what their community looks like. Some communities want to have a certain look to them or do not care at all. When there is development it has the possibility to affect the entire community. Too much development can take away from the suburb feel. “It is in everyone’s vision, when you look out your window and what you see” (Video Clip)
How does the floor plan and architecture of houses impact the neighborhood?
The people can have difference in what should be the feel and look of the neighborhood. When these huge and architecturally great houses are built near houses that are not the same it impacts the other community members in a negative way. The character of the neighbor can be changed by the architecture style.
Having the large garages in front instead of a door takes away from the community feel. Not welcoming and inviting to others, but showing off your possessions and what you own. To me it can cause a lot of hostility between people who are building these large “Castle” houses compared to the traditional homes that are originally there.
How can the architecture of subdivisions be explained as an optimal market outcome?
Architecture of subdivisions have the ability to be optimal in the market because if the design and architecture of the homes is bringing in new residents and increasing the profit within the city and satisfying other residents it will make the community better off. When this situation is true you can see that the market will benefit from the architecture fitting to the form of what the community members what and desire to be apart of their community.
How can the architecture of subdivisions be explained as an inefficient market outcome?
Architecture has the problem that it can cause conflict between community members and create stress and hostility. When this occurs it can restrict the community from coming together and will be a negative affect of the growth and production that is occurring. Inefficient markets have a negative impact and when architecture is not followed by the standards or the likes of the members that are already there it will have this affect on everyone and the economy.
Why is design more prevalent in consumable goods than neighborhoods?
In architecture design is not acknowledged is said by the movie, but to me I believe it depends on the person, because what is beautiful to one person is not to another. But from the movie I learned that there can ways around making more profit from cheaper materials that what actually is architecturally pleasing.
Why license beauticians but not developers?
In my opinion I feel that this question is completely valid in that both of them should be licensed and treated the same way. But trying to answer the question along with this assignment, I would have to say that housing is you can create to yourself and that most people higher a developer or that buy into what the developer wants to produce. But at the same time I feel that beauticians fall into that same category as well, so it is hard for me to decide what makes this requirement. The good thing that i believe is that both occupation requires schooling that must be met.
What is new urbanism?
Creating neighborhoods based on idea on supporting community life and integrating activities such as shopping and having the city based around people and not cars and transportation systems. This is similar to the cities such as New York and Chicago. Living near shops and offices and diversity with townhouses, apartments,condos and housing all around it. The goal of new urbanism is to create a lifestyle and compact where you can get to everything you need provided to you with out the use of cars. Retrieving info from culture that results in a sustainable culture for humans.
Articles:
http://newurbannetwork.com/about-new-urbanism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Urbanism
Why are walkable streets important for neighborhoods?
Because streets are the the form of commuting around and getting one place to another. It is the success to create a place that is worth living that must have streets. Feel good to feel on, destination places near by will lead to people meeting each other. The destination is key to the walkable streets creating the community because people can meet each other on the way to your destination. Taking people out of their cars and walking to get rid of isolation.
It is also extremely important to those who are alone (divorced, windowed, single) to have the community feel and connection and they receive that from streets and destination locations.
How does diversity affect communities?
Diversity brings about both positive and negative affects. It brings the opportunity to create democracy and having different opinions and views with problems and issues that arise. It creates public life possible instead of having those who are the exact same control one area and the other group not at all. It helps create the whole idea of community and what differing people bring to the plate not only opinions but stories, supplies, and help for each other.
Why do some people seek diversity and others avoid it?
Those who seek diversity want more that just living along side people who are the exact same as you. That they are different from you and can teach you new opinions and views. People who avoid it may be scared of what is different and too nervous to live alongside those who see and live differently.
How do communities based on geographic proximity differ from communities based on other commonalities?
Those who live in communities that are based on geographic may have the problem of staying connected to those who live very close to the city and those who live outside the city edge as seen in the video clip. But I also think that those who live in geographic communities may have more diversity amongst them that can bring different people closer to one another.
Communities based on commonalities are going to have more people who are similar living in the same regions. For those who avoid diversity this will bring the community closer because they are similar but takes away from people who may be in multiple “groups” and separating the diversity completely.
When are leaders important to the development of communities?
Leaders bring about activities and celebrations for communities. It takes one person to take action for a new park, fourth of July celebration, and block parties. Without the leaders people would remain separate from each other and not be encouraged to create that community amongst them. Leaders can also help solve problems that could occur within the community and find a resolution quicker and easier.
Why do neighborhoods tend to become more isolated as average income increases?
As average income increase people start to purchase homes in subdivisions that isolate themselves from their names and take away from the need to walk from place to place. When those core walkable streets are gone from the neighborhoods people do not connect with one another and result in no community atmosphere. People will become just dependent on their family or one set of neighbors and remain isolated from the rest.
Does this imply that community is an inferior good? (Defend your answer)
Inferior good: is a good that decreases in demand when consumer income rises, unlike normal goods, for which the opposite is observed.
I believe that technically be definition that neighborhoods are an inferior good, because I believe that a majority of people desire nicer and larger homes as their incomes increase. And although they may like the community feel they would prefer to have the “upgraded” home. In exchange for this upgraded home they do loose the community feel which results that it would be an inferior good. But there is always an exception to the rule; there are people who much rather either spend their money else where ie cars, vacations, schooling, instead of homes and those who income increases but still want the community feel and will remain there instead of moving somewhere else with a bigger home.
