Create community in the city

“Seek the welfare of the city into which you have been called, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”  Jeremiah 29:7

Here's a good article regarding how Christians can think about promoting a sense of community in our cities:  

http://www.civitate.org/2011/09/redeeming-civic-life-in-the-commons/

He suggests that common space for interacting with our neighbors is needed - easy to see the benefits of that.  Zoning laws and private individuality have reduced opportunity for community living.  Maybe Jer. 29:7 can inspire a new vision.

Front lawns with fences around them - can they actually be an encouragement to interaction with neighbors?  Yes they can, and here's an example from East Los Angeles:

 "in this context, the fence is actually creating a more social space by pushing the threshold out towards the sidewalk. The homeowner in this context has a defensible space where they can stand and interact with people on the sidewalk. They can actually position themselves in their front yard in such a way as to indicate what kind of interaction they are open to. They can orient themselves towards the sides of their fence for more familiar conversation with a neighbor, or they can rest their arms on the gate to chat with people as they pass by."

How about big buildings and parking lots?  Their effect on neighborhoods is early in the article.