Disconnected by Design: Why We Need to Reimagine Our Neighborhoods
In today’s America, our politics feel disconnected, our communities fragmented, and our sense of collective purpose frayed. We’ve grown accustomed to living in a sprawling suburbia that has left us isolated from one another. This isolation, I believe, is at the heart of why so many feel disillusioned with the current political and social landscape. We are encouraged to engage with local politics and take responsibility for our communities, yet most of us don’t know who represents us on the city council, much less who serves as our precinct chair. Why? Because our environments make meaningful engagement a challenge, if not an impossibility. When was the last time you saw your neighbor while running errands? Chances are, you left your home, closed your garage door, drove to a store miles away, and returned without interacting with a single person in your neighborhood. Studies have shown that Americans now spend 90% of their time indoors 1 , often isolated by car-centric designs that prio
