The benefits of neighbourliness
July 15, 2012
Does connecting with your neighbour really matter?
Connections and Engagement, A Closer Look: The benefits of neighbourliness
A neighbourhood is so much more than a geographically localized area. It is the place we call home, where our children play, and where we have the most invested financially and emotionally. If we care about any place in our community, it would normally be our immediate neighbourhood.
One of the most surprising findings from our 2012 metro Vancouver Survey on Connections and Engagement was that so few people visit their neighbours. Only about one quarter of survey participants had a neighbour over to their house or apartment in the past 12 months. The same small percentage was invited to a neighbour’s home during the same time period.
And patterns of neighbourhood connections are pretty much set after a few years. People who have lived in their neighbourhood for 20 years are no more likely to socialize with neighbours than those living in the neighbourhood for three years.
Does connecting with your neighbour really matter anymore? More than you might think!