弗洛伊德宣称：生物学决定命运。
但如果弗洛伊德活在今天，他可能会说“设计即命运”——尤其是在漫步于大多数现代城市之后。
社区的设计方式对我们的生活体验有着巨大的影响。例如，没有修建人行道的社区意味着人们步行较少，因此也减少了与他人偶遇的机会，而这种偶遇正是营造社区氛围的关键所在。邻里间的公共空间意识也随之缺失。
你无需成为心理治疗师也能意识到，这会造成持久的心理影响。它破坏了人与人之间的联系，而这种联系本应鼓励我们聚集在一起、合作共赢。我们退缩到越来越私人的生活中。
当然，这并非什么惊人的发现。过去40年来，美国社区意识的日益减弱一直是人们广泛讨论的话题，也提出了许多关于如何重新凝聚社区的方案。
为应对这一问题，正在实施的一个值得注意的解决方案是新都市主义，这是一场建筑运动，旨在通过最大限度地创造社会交流的机会来建设新的社区（并振兴现有的社区）：公共广场、前廊、街角商店、咖啡馆、社区学校、狭窄的街道，当然还有人行道。
尽管新都市主义在社区层面取得了长足进步，但我们仍然大部分时间待在家里，这意味着如今我们除了核心家庭成员之外，几乎见不到其他人。我们该如何稍微扩大一下这个圈子呢？合作居住和共享住宅社区越来越受欢迎，尤其是在年轻人中。然而，还有数百万人正在寻求与邻居之间更非正式的相处模式，他们共享的不仅仅是房产边界。
这是西雅图地区建筑师罗斯·查平多年来一直在探索的想法，现在他在一本鼓舞人心的书中展示了这一想法： 《口袋社区：在大尺度世界中创建小尺度社区》 。
他认为，四到十二户人家组成的社区是理想的居住地，“能够促进有意义的邻里关系”。但即便如此，设计仍然塑造着我们的命运。查平解释说，当每个人都拥有一些“共同点”时，邻里之间牢固的关系才能最充分、最自然地发展起来。
这可以是一个半公共空间，就像查平在西雅图地区设计的那些袖珍社区一样。在书中明亮的照片里，它们看起来像是绿草茵茵的世外桃源，孩子们在那里奔跑嬉戏，鲜花盛开，邻居们驻足聊天。
但查平指出，这些公共空间可以采取多种不同的形式——例如马萨诸塞州剑桥的一栋公寓楼，拥有一个共享的后院；奥克兰的一群邻居拆除了他们的后院围栏，创造了一个公共空间；巴尔的摩的一个街区将他们的巷子变成了一个公共空间；或者加利福尼亚州曼哈顿海滩和欧洲各地的住宅步行街。
住在这样的社区的好处远超你的想象。我读研究生时就住在一个这样的社区里，那是一栋破旧的1886年联排别墅，靠近明尼苏达大学校园，带一个公共庭院。我一生中从未像现在这样和邻居们如此亲密。我们会在野餐桌旁即兴聊天，也会在挂满意大利彩灯的树下举办派对，一直玩到凌晨。
当这处房产被卖给一个投机商，他大幅提高租金以筹集资金最终拆除大楼时，我们组织了一场拒付房租的行动。我们赢了，如果我们彼此之间没有建立起牢固的纽带，这一切绝不可能发生。因为法官裁定房东在修缮大楼之前不得提高租金，他只好放弃了拆除计划。这栋楼至今仍然屹立，而我至今仍与一些当年在院子里聚会的老朋友保持联系。
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I would like to talk about the concept of Coop housing. I live in a 16 apartment complex with a wonderful backyard that gives onto a wooded hill. It is quiet and peaceful. Yet there's absolutely no sense of community. People are extremely self-centred. Out of 16 only 4-5 people enjoy the yard in summertime and even then not at the same time. Many don't care about their neighbours and forget cooperation and collaboration which are the essence of Coop living. I arrived here in Dec of 2003,and the only outdoors communal event they ever had was in August of that year. We've never had another one. It's really a shame. I love my place, the peace and quiet - I just wish people would be friendlier. I lived 5 yrs in Ontario before moving here and lived those 5 yrs in a 15 story building where there was a great atmosphere and neighbours talked to each other at least. As a member of the board (as secretary) I am distressed about the situation.
¡Formidable!
Hi - Good one. Can I use the link in my blog?
http://dia-mundial-del-urba...
Sidewalks are irrelevant, the main cause of people not socializing outdoors is central air conditioning and multiple TVs in people's homes. This guy is talking nonsense.
I have been interested in co-housing for years. Although I've never joined an official community, I believe I've achieved the essence of it with my neighbors. We took down fences and have picnics together on tables spanning our yards. We house each others' guests when our own houses are too full. We share lawn mowers. We garden together. We've done triathlons together. Neighborhood design is definitely part of the equation. Neighbors having the desire to interact with one another is a bigger part. I guess I share this only to say, Don't wait until you move to the right setting to achieve neighborhood. It can happen where you are.
Please can you resend the article about class -- as experienced in Britain -- upper, middle etc.
to me at: clare.hallward048@sympatico.ca
Thanking you in advance. Somehow I had mislaid it.