neighborhoods + communities : reading response

The reading on neighborhoods and communities gave me new insight into the process behind building communities. Zoning and variances are put into place to keep the identity of the community in tact. While these regulations are primarily concerned with the visual aspects of community, I also appreciated the psychological aspect of how a community is defined. It is basic psychology that everyone, but especially children, models those around them. The theories mentioned about how members of neighbors influence each other caused me to consider my own neighborhood and the impact it has had on me. I recognize that based on the actions of children older than me, education and sports were important. Every child went to school regularly and eventually attended college. And every child was active in some way, whether through organized sports or free play in the neighborhood. The legislative and psychological ideas discussed in the reading relate to my own neighborhood in some way. As part one of the first minority families in my neighborhood, I have watched the community become more diverse as the city of Charlotte has grown and the suburbs where I live have become more developed. I find it interesting that these two events coincide with one another. Contrary to the common implications of an increase in minorities, property values in my neighborhood have actually gone up in the time I have lived there. I think this is important because it contradicts the trend of gentrification noted in the reading (p. 132). However, the reading was valuable in that it prompted me to analyze elements of my own neighborhood (i.e. the Homeowner’s Association) with a deeper understanding.