I have a colleague who gets frustrated when people throw around the word “community.” When someone uses the term she holds back her exasperation and calmly asks, “What do you mean by community?” She has a point. We often overuse words that have broad, imprecise interpretations. The ones that induce a warm fuzzy glow are usually the most dangerous. Regardless, communityis important, so I will attempt to unpack the term a bit. I am uniquely qualified to share insights regarding communitybecause I live a divided life –splitting most of my time between Las Vegas and Bainbridge Island, a small idyllic island in the Puget Sound. The two communities couldn’t be more different.
Las Vegas is constructed to support an enormous flow of tourists and is the most transactional place I have lived. On the other hand, my sleepy island hamlet is relentlessly relational. Every city or town has a set of expectations, and finding your place within those unspoken rules establishes a sense of belonging and connection to a place –community. For example, in Las Vegas you are expected to live and let live – regardless of how ridiculous things get. On Bainbridge you are never to use chemical weed killer in your yard or utilize the horn in your
automobile–if you do hear a horn it is likely an impatient visitor from the East Coast trying to get back to the city. This is not where the startling contrasts end.
The rules and expectations in a communitynaturally reveal themselves in the physical environment – the things we make are shaped by our values and aspirations. It has been shown that people who socialize for several hours daily, smile more, and laugh more are statistically happier. It is not just the number of social relationships we have but the quality of those relationships. Do people know, understand and value us? Are they invested in our wellbeing? At first glance walk-able neighborhoods might not seem connected to a sense of belonging, but walk-able neighborhoods provide more opportunities for meaningful face-to-face social interaction. It is much easier to ignore your neighbor and more difficult to develop meaningful relationships while driving.
Limiting exposure to advertising and commercial messaging creates an environment that favors genuine human interaction rather than reducing every encounter into an opportunity to influence consumer behavior. Limiting advertising in public spaces signals that a community won’t prioritize economic activity or political expediency over people’s quality of life. This underlying arrangement reduces stress by giving people a greater sense of security – an assurance that their most basic needs are not for sale. In a capitalist society we all rely on economic activity, but we should not have to choose between commerce and our long-term wellbeing.
Simply making money does not constitute a good lifeespecially if it exploits or manipulates the unwary and vulnerable. We should strive to conduct business in a way that enhances the lives of others.
Living in a vibrant community that supports learning and discovery also contributes significantly to our wellbeing. People that learn or experience something new everyday are statistically more fulfilled. The type of learning that enriches our life in the long term often occurs at home, in a school, museum, park, theater, library, coffee shop and occasionally on a smartphone or on the Strip. However, these moments always require individuals who are thinking deeply, developing skills and doing interesting things. I have always benefited from living in communities with a university, and you can feel the difference. The primary role of these institutions is to develop new knowledge, pursue creative activities and share their work with others.
Today we have a great deal of flexibility and control over how we live and engage our communities. While I travel I stay in very close contact with friends and family through technology including live video calls. Surprisingly, our family’s only car is kept on Bainbridge Island. I accomplish most of my artistic work and spend less money while in Las Vegas. While down south, I live in a high-rise condo in the Las Vegas Arts District. I don’t know most of my neighbors but have developed several meaningful relationships through the work I do in the community. Go figure.